Boney M. founder Frank Farian has passed away, aged 82

The legendary German singer and record producer who created the disco-funk group Boney M. in the 1970s was behind some of their biggest hits 'Rasputin' and 'Daddy Cool' - passed away peacefully at his home in Miami, Florida.

The singer had three daughters with former wife and longtime partner Chinya Onyewenjo.

Over the years, the band has consisted of various lineups that have included combinations of Liz Mitchell, Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams, Bobby Farrell, and Reggie Tsiboe and sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Outside of the band, Frank also worked with music superstars including the late Meat Loaf - who died in January 2022 at the age of 74 - and Stevie Wonder.

No cause of death has been announced at the time of writing, but he revealed in what became his final interview in November 2023 that he had been through a life-saving operation similar to that of rock icon Sir Mick Jagger.

He told Bild: "My heart valve works wonderfully. Mick Jagger also received exactly the same heart valve. I have a good pig in me! And I’m very grateful for that!"

He added of the drug he was given: "This is a similar active ingredient to Viagra and has a nice side effect. But to be honest, I'm not thinking about sex at all at the moment. Today I enjoy a good meal and am just happy that I'm still alive."

Unfortunately, his health deteriorated, and he became wheelchair-bound and required additional support for his lungs to help him breathe. Farian also had difficulty speaking.

His ex-partner, Ingrid 'Milli' Segieth, 69, had recently visited him and told the same publication that in his final days he was "physically very weak, but was still full of energy."

She added: "He was still sitting in the recording studio all day, working on new music.”

At the time, Frank was the subject of the documentary 'Milli Vanilli: From Fame to Shame' - which focused on the rise and fall of his R&B music act and relished in the worldwide fame that his work's "unimaginable popularity" had brought him over his 50-year career.

He said: "It has generated unimaginable popularity for my work over the last 50 years. The name Frank Farian is present in all the news around the world right now! It doesn’t get any better than this.”

His glittering career spanning more than six decades saw Farian sell more than 850 million records.

- Written by Bang! Showbiz and republished here with permission