German music producer Frank Farian, best known as the founder of Boney M and Milli Vanilli, has died aged 82.
The hitmaker died peacefully in his Miami home on Tuesday his agency confirmed on behalf of Farian’s family.
Farian found success as the producer of the ’70s group Boney M, which featured members Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams, Liz Mitchell, and Bobby Farrell, and sold over 150 million records worldwide in their time.
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The group rose to fame for their chart-topping tracks such as the 1978 classic Rasputin on their album Nightflight to Venus.
The German producer was also the talent behind other Boney M hits including Daddy Cool and Brown Girl in the Ring.
In addition to working with Boney M, Farian founded the ’80s Munich duo Milli Vanilli consisting of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus.
The group were responsible for hits including Girl You Know It’s True, Baby Don’t Forget My Number, Can’t You Feel My Love and All or Nothing.
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Farian’s decades spanning career saw him work with other artists such as Meat Loaf and the Isn’t She Lovely singer Stevie Wonder.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2006, the hitmaker estimated he had sold around 800 million records worldwide across his career.
“I know the two boys from Abba and also the singers. We did shows with them and I have a lot of respect for these people,” he told the outlet at the time when discussing competition in the industry in the ’80s.
“But Abba was always a little bit more normal,” he joked, adding that “with Boney M, always a big show.”
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After his success with Boney M, and controversy surrounding lip-syncing duo Milli Vanilli, Farian went on to work with other groups such as Far Corporation and No Mercy.
In 2022, the producer revealed in an interview with Bild that he had a “pig heart valve” as a result of old age.
“Mick Jagger also received exactly the same heart valve. I have a good pig in me! And I’m very grateful for that,” he told the outlet at the time.
Farian had four children with his partner Chinya Onyewenjo.