According to Brooklyn Vegan, musician John Davis has passed away at the age of 66 due to COVID-19 complications. The singer was known for being one of the “real” voices behind the ‘80s pop group Milli Vanilli.
Davis’ daughter Jasmin shared the news of her father’s passing in a Facebook post, saying “My dad passed away this evening through the coronavirus. He made a lot of people happy with his laughter and smile, his happy spirit, love and especially through his music. He gave so much to the world! Please give him the last round of applause. We will miss him dearly.”
Fronted by German-French models/singers Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, Milli Vanilli was created by the German producer/songwriter Frank Farian. Farian favored the image of the men he recruited to front the group, but chose to opt for other vocalists to record the Milli Vanilli albums. The other vocalists he recruited included Davis, Brad Howell and more.
“R.I.P brother @johndavisRMV Can’t believe it,” Morvan shared in a Tweet. “Thanks for all the love you’ve spread through out the years, from the edge of the stage. You and I had a great run, it was fun to celebrate life with the help of music. Peace one love/Your voice will live on. Play it loud everybody.”
In 1990, Milli Vanilli’s 1989 album Girl You Know It’s True won a Grammy for Best New Artist. When word got out that Pilatus and Morvan weren’t actually the vocalists behind the record, the Recording Academy revoked the award. This incident was the only time in Grammys history that an award has been revoked.
Farian attempted to rebrand Milli Vanilli as The Real Milli Vanilli, which included Davis, but their record The Moment of Truth, was never released in North America. Davis also put out several solo records prior to recording for Milli Vanilli, including his 1990 album Still Be Loving You.
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