Today is the 32nd birthday of Fabrice Morvan, one-half of the '80s pop
duo Milli Vanilli, who were exposed as fakes in 1990 for having not
actually sung on their hit record. In April of this year, Morvan's
Milli Vanilli partner, Rob Pilatus, was
found dead in Frankfurt, Germany,
at the age of 32.
Morvan and Pilatus were recruited by Eurodisco music producer Frank
Farian to be Milli Vanilli primarily because the duo's good looks were
perfect for the MTV age. The only problem was that the two had no
musical talent. Undeterred, Farian used studio musicians for the
pop/dance vocal and instrumental performances issued under the Milli
Vanilli moniker. Milli Vanilli's late '80s hits included "Blame It On
The Rain," "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" and "Girl You Know It's True."
Their debut album, 1989's Girl You Know It's True, sold millions
of copies and established them as budding pop superstars. Milli Vanilli
won three American Music Awards in 1990. But it was their victory as
1989's Best New Artist at the 1990 Grammy Awards that appeared to seal
their success and give them artistic credibility. Ironically, it was
the beginning of the end for the duo. Rumors began to fly that they did
not participate in the production of their record, forcing Farian to
admit the truth. The Grammy committee quickly revoked the honor. Fans
and critics were enraged at the deception, forcing the dissolution of
the duo, despite Morvan and Pilatus' efforts to release further music on
which they actually played.
During the '90s, the disgraced duo
kept a low profile and Pilatus reportedly attempted suicide. In early
'98, music network VH1 broadcast "Behind The Music: Milli Vanilli," a
special on which Morvan and Pilatus explained their participation in the
bogus recording act and appeared contrite and eager to get on with their
lives. Pilatus even admitted to problems with drugs after the group's
disbanding and said he'd cleaned up and looked forward to a show-business
career in some form. But it was not to be. He was found dead
in a German hotel room in early April, having ingested a mixture of
unidentified pills and alcohol. Autopsy results still haven't been
issued. VH1 quickly rebroadcast the special program with an added coda
about Pilatus' tragic death. Morvan issued a statement: "Milli Vanilli
was not a disgrace. The only disgrace is how Rob died -- all alone,
destroyed from the rapid rise then sudden fall." Morvan, said to be
distraught over his partner's death, is now singing as a solo act in Los
Angeles clubs.
Other birthdays: Jack Bruce (Cream), 55; Derek Leckenby (Herman's
Hermits), 53; Gene Cornish (the Rascals), 53; Alan Ciner
(American Breed/Three Dog Night/Rufus), 51; David Byrne (Talking
Heads), 46; C.C. DeVille (Poison), 36;
Ian Ashbury (the Cult), 36; Mike Inez (Alice in Chains), 32; Danny Wood
(NKOTB), 29 ... Bobby Darin, 1936-1973.
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