The Milli Vanilli Story

Robert “Rob” Pilatus and Fabrice "Fab" Morvan, born 1964 and 1966 respectively, were both working as break-dancers and models in Germany when they met and decided to form a rock/soul band. Both from humble beginnings the young pair were ecstatic to be approached by superstar producer Frank Farian in a nightclub in Munich in 1988. One cash advance and two signatures later Rob and Fab had officially become “Milli Vanilli”.

But there were dark undertones to this seemingly too good to be true story. Farian never wanted singers, he already had two of those; instead he needed these two good looking black men with exotic dreadlocks and a defined look to front his band because the ones he had, albeit talented musicians, were not, in his eyes, marketable enough. By the time this came to light for naive Rob and Fab they had already spent the cash they had been given, they were locked into contact.

It’s not even the first time Farian had pulled this trick. Boney M, the only band to appear twice on the UK’s all time highest selling singles, was actually Farian’s own singing behind a front of stage performers. Burgeoned by this huge accomplishment he felt he could replicate success with a new band.

Despite moral uncertainties the legally obliged Rob and Fab continued with the project. In 1988 “All or Nothing”, Milli Vannilli’s first album, was released. The cover art featured Rob and Fab and at no point did it credit the actual singers.  Initially released by record label, BMG, only in Europe the album slowly but surely garnered steam and by the time it reached number 1 on Australia’s ARIA Charts Milli Vannilli had caught the attention of Arista, the record label of Iggy Pop, Aretha Franklin and the Alan Parsons Project, amongst others.

Arista promptly rereleased “All or Nothing” under the new title of “Girl You Know It’s True” with a few tracks removed and a couple of new ones inserted. This version was released in the US where it took off like a rocket to the moon. Their first single “Girl You Know It’s True”, using the winning combination of American rap and European dance music which would come to define their style, reached number 2 on the American Billboard Charts in April 1989. In July Milli Vanilli’s second single “Baby Don’t Forget My Number”, surpassed their first to become their first number 1 on the American Charts. Their next two singles, “Girl I’m Going to Miss You” and “Blame It on the Rain.”

At this point in time only Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, The BeeGees and George Michael had achieved more than Billboard number ones on a single album and Milli Vanilli were well on their way to joining them, with their fifth single, “All or Nothing”, reaching number 4 and still climbing, when things took a downward turn.  Charles Shaw, one of the actual, uncredited, singers came out to the media labelling Rob and Fab as frauds. And while Farian paid him $150,000 to retract his statement rumours still circulated and grew killing off record sales.

In spite of this Milli Vannilli were nominated for a Grammy for best new artist in 1990 which they won beating Neheh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Soul II Soul and Tone Lōc. In November 1990 Farian, under huge public pressure, officially admitted to the bands lip syncing immediately setting off one of the biggest controversies in music history. Their Grammy was revoked, their album production discontinued and their careers destroyed. Rob and Fab instantly the laughing stock of the musical world; ridiculed and tormented, they were the butt of every joke.

At this point everyone went their own way. The original singers, Charles Shaw and Brad Howe, now officially credited, along with the group’s female backup singers, released an album of original music under the name of “The Real Milli Vanilli” to moderate commercial success. The album, “The Moment of Truth”, is considered to be Milli Vanilli’s second studio album. Farian tried to dissociate himself from the scandal but at the same time attempted to rerelease a lot of the work using different singers. Rob and Fab hid from the public eye for a period, both taking the fall from grace quite hard. In 1992, in what turned out to be a miserable last hooarah, the pair released an album, using their own singing, under the name of “Rob and Fab” on independent label “Taj Records”. The album sold an abysmal 2000 copies and spelled the end for the couple. They soon fell out, each suffering from person issues. In particular Rob who took to depression and drugs. In 1996 he served jail time for assault, vandalism and attempted robbery. 

The travesty of it all was that none of this was new. Many hugely successful bands had used models and dancers as fronts for their performance. Farian’s Boney M; “The Weather Girls” of “It’s Raining Men” fame; and Milli Vanilli’s contemporaries “Black Box” all had lip syncing front men. Rob and Fab were just two young men caught in a whirlwind of contracts and dreams and one lie that got out of hand.

The saga ended in 1998 when Rob was found dead of an alcohol and prescription drug overdose in a Frankfurt hotel room. He was only 33. They may never had sung a note but as Milli Vanilli Rob and Fab sold seven million albums and 30 million singles and have forever secured themselves a place in musical history.