The name Milli Vanilli is associated with reproach. For a couple of years in the period between 1980’s and the beginning of 1990’s, they reached the very top of the pop scene with songs like “Blame it on the Rain” and “Girl You Know It’s True”. But it would all end in disaster as they were caught in scandal not recording their voices in their albums where other session singers were hired instead.
Who comprised Milli Vanilli?
Milli Vanilli was prominent in Germany before they became popular in the US. The duo comprised of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The two were men on a mission, men who wanted success and recognition in the showbiz world. They were models, back-up dancers, and singers who got involved with music producer Frank Farian, who would trick them to lip sync over unrelated songs sung by other singers. Morvan and Pilatus were never meant to sing but were presented by Farian as the faces behind Milli Vanilli.
This was not the first instance of the producer Frank Farian pulling off such a move. In the 1970’s, he had a hand in the creation of an act called Boney M. He was not the one who sung the songs on the recordings. So this was not the first time Farian had abused black men’s artistry and creativity all these years.
How did Milli Vanilli manage to make it big?
With their music, Milli Vanilli climbed up the German charts, and Graham Kershaw figured what succeeds in Europe would also come to America. This was something Farian would prefer to avoid, but not Morvan and Pilatus. But as much as America embraced them, the band had began to be given limited time in their lustre days in the music industry. They would get into a recording contract with Clive Davis and make endless promotional rounds. For a limited period of time, the attention of the general public was fully focused on Milli Vanilli.
But with their growth, the foundation turned more unsteady. It had become clear that, behind the scenes, they were a lip sync group to the backup performers and the ensemble on tour. And then it finally came to light: their back-up track while performing started skipping at shows. The notorious video of the band performing “Girl You Know It’s True”, repeatedly chanting the chorus, leaving the stage with Rob and Fab
What was the beginning of their downfall?
Although there were rumors all over the industry about the fact that the duo were lip sync artists, their manager was even able to get them a formal nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. By then, these whispers transformed into real evidence among the industry heads that there was more to them than just their talent. Through backdoor channels, they managed to get the nomination with terms “bring it” for their performance.
As the Grammy ceremony approached, rumors emerged that they had been lip syncing and that it was not actually their singing voice. Video exists of Ozzy Osbourne in the audience during this time, performing their act and looking visibly bored. Ironically, they would be honored with the title of Best New Artist later that night. And with that Grammy win, this temporal truce was over.
Did Milli Vanilli give back the grammy?
A few months afterward, it was Milli Vanilli who needed to apologize to the media and the allegations within the industry, of them not performing any vocal parts for the album. They were the only musical performers to have won the grammy and subsequently return the award. After that, they made several attempts at a comeback but eventually slipped into oblivion. By the end of the decade, the plot becomes tragic as Rob Pilatus dies due to substance abuse. In one of their more vulnerable conversations, Fab recalls how Rob’s childhood trauma contributed to the very end of their fantastic collaboration.
In the case of Milli Vanilli, the ending is perceived slightly more sympathetically than simply treating Milli Vanilli as a joke within the music industry. One of the music journalists is heard in it saying, “No crimes were committed because of this, but a life was lost.”
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