He played a leading role in one of the most notorious scandals in music history. During the two years the duo were members Milli Vanillahim and german Rob Pilatus They reached the sky. Their songs reached the top of the charts in Europe and the United States and in 1990 Best New Artist Grammy. However, it was soon discovered that they were not the ones singing the songs on their album ‘All or Nothing’ (1988); Their discoverer, producer Frank Farian, had hired them to move only their bodies and lips.. They had to give back the prize and the world turned its back on them. They tried to redeem themselves by releasing an album called ‘Rob & Fab’, in which they used their real voices and sold only two thousand copies; Eight years later, Pilatus was found dead from a drug and alcohol overdose. ‘biopic’Milli Vanilli: The Girl You Know Is True‘, opening in theaters this Wednesday, recreates his story.
Almost 35 years have passed since the secret of Milli Vanilli was revealed, and during this time it has never ceased to be the center of public attention. To what do you attribute this?
Partly that’s because no one in pop history has ever fallen from grace as brutally as Rob and I. He turned us into demons and a walking joke. People gathered in the streets to burn our records, and some lawyers caught wind and started recruiting people who wanted to join a class-action lawsuit against us, convincing them to say into microphones that their lives were ruined because Milli Vanilli didn’t do it. I don’t really sing. It was quite a show.
How do you explain your involvement in this scam after all this time?
I was very young and had no representation or lawyer. The contract that Frank Farian put on the table for us was written in German and it was impossible for me to read it; Rob reviewed the first two pages and, lured by the promise of success, we decided to sign. We were given an advance, albeit a very modest one, which was a lot for two kids like us who had nothing, and then we were given other advances. And after that Frank told us we wouldn’t be singing. We tried to refuse, but we were already trapped in the contract. From then on we were exploited and scapegoated by the vultures of the music industry.
Do you feel like a victim?
No. We were not innocent, but we were two small parts of a huge money-making machine. We dreamed of making it in the music world and were seduced by the lifestyle and attention that Milli Vanilli provided us. When we got on stage, tens of thousands of fans were screaming our names and all that love was like a drug. The rest of the time, we traveled around in limousines and stayed in the most luxurious hotels, it was a dream life.
They made a lot of money…
Yes, but we lost that during our legal dispute with Farian, who immediately stopped paying us anything even though he and his record labels continued to make a lot of money from us. Every now and then over the years a new compilation came out called ‘The Best of Milli Vanilli’ or something, and even though my face was on the cover, I didn’t get a dime. As a French teacher, I had to start from scratch again.
You know that if it happened today, the Milli Vanilli scandal wouldn’t actually be a scandal, right?
Of course, and that’s why young people always ask me: “So what was really the problem?” We were crucified for doing the same thing thirty years ago; thanks to lip-syncing, which thousands of ‘influencers’ are celebrating on Instagram and TikTok today. And many of today’s music stars sing very badly and resort to Autotune to hide their vocal deficiencies, and no one thinks it’s bad. Moreover, in pop concerts, visuals rather than sounds are at the forefront. Even though the music isn’t ours, Rob and I brought incredible personality to Milli Vanilli. I don’t want to say that we were pioneers, but if it were today, everything would be different, and we would also have the opportunity to tell our side using social networks. It would be much less traumatic.
How did you cope with Rob Pilatus’ death?
Rob was like a brother to me, and when he died, a part of me became that too. He was an adopted son and grew up with a hole in his heart because he thought his adoptive parents didn’t truly love him. Milli Vanilli’s success gave him the love he longed for, but after the fans’ rejection, the hole in his heart opened again and grew bigger. He felt devastated and had no hope for the future. For me, talking about all this now is a way to show my respect for him.
How did you manage to move forward after what happened?
I can say that I feel lucky to have survived. At first I could barely leave the house, and when I did, I camouflaged myself with a hat and glasses; When I heard the laughter I thought they were making fun of me. I also took refuge in drugs and alcohol, but thanks to music, I gained the strength to leave all these and change my life. For many years, it was almost impossible for me to watch old Milli Vanilli video clips or listen to their songs, but about 15 years ago, they asked me to perform them live. At first I rejected the offer, but then I decided to adapt them to my own vocal style and make it my own. Thus, I regained my self-respect and today I continue to sing them along with my own compositions.
Did Farian ask for forgiveness before his death last January?
No, he left my life a long time ago, and no matter how much he benefited us at our expense, I never expected an apology from him. I’m sure he never felt like he did anything wrong to us until the day he died. And when the scandal occurred, both he and other music executives thought we would disappear from the map forever. But I’m still here. And I don’t hold a grudge against anyone.
Source: Informacion
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.