Boney M Producer Frank Farian Dies Aged 82

The agency of German music producer Frank Farian announced his death on Tuesday, Jan. 23. German public broadcaster DW reported that he died peacefully at his Miami home.

Farian was famously known for being the producer of the disco music acts Milli Vanilli and Boney M, with the latter being famous for its tracks "Daddy Cool," "Rasputin," and "Rivers of Babylon."

Boney M Producer Frank Farian Dies Aged 82 — *(Photo: Karlheinz Schindler/dpa/picture alliance/DW)*

Who Was Frank Farian?

German local media said that Farian was born Franz Reuther in 1941. He began his music career in the 1960s by forming a rock and roll band called Frankie Boys Schatten, which later flopped.

By 1967, he slowly transitioned to pop and eventually rose to fame after singing several contemporary covers before forming the disco band Boney M with Bobby Farrell and Maizie Williams.

Farian eventually achieved international success in the 1970s and sold more than 800 million records with Boney M and various other artists throughout his career, including Stevie Wonder and Meat Loaf.

However, he was also subject to controversy with his involvement with the supposedly singing duo Milli Vanilli after it was revealed that the performers were not singing themselves.