The Tragic Death Of The Real Voice Of Milli Vanilli, John Davis
John Davis, one of the talented voices behind Milli Vanilli, has died from "coronavirus-related causes," according to the New York Post. He was 66 years old at the time of his death.
His daughter Jasmin took to Facebook on May 24 to remember her father. "My dad passed away this evening through the coronavirus," she wrote. "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."
She continued (via Metro): "Thank you so much all for your help, we appreciate you all. I can't get back to everyone, but we feel the love, the prayers, all the condolences etc. This is incredible hard for us and leaves the biggest hole within us and we still in shock and disbelief. We love him so much and we're his biggest fans! We going to miss him and his hugs & kisses so dearly. It's hard to find words, 'cause I do not have them. But just thank you for all the positive memories that you guys shared in the last few hours with us."
It's clear that Davis' impact on the music world will be felt for generations to come. Keep reading for more details about his life.
A 'broken backtrack' helped John Davis gain the recognition he deserved
There was no Milli Vanilli without John Davis, but the group did not hit it big until 1988, according to the New York Post. French-German musical talents Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan hit it big in Europe and then took the United States by storm in 1989 with their album "Girl You Know It's True." The album sold 11 million copies and resulted in a 1990 Grammy win.
The group became embroiled in controversy when a "broken backtrack" revealed Pilatus and Moran were not actually singing during a performance. Whoops! Producer Frank Farian tried to make a fresh start by rebranding the group as The Real Milli Vanilli and made a point to feature real singers Davis and Brad Howell. Their "Moment of Truth" album seemed to enjoy success in Europe, Asia and South America, but they never reached the same level of fame again.
Davis and Morvan went out on their own and performed as Face Meets Voice. Morvan appeared heartbroken over the loss of his music partner, writing on Twitter, "R.I.P BROTHER @JohnDavisRMV. CAN'T BELIEVE IT, 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." Morvan had Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" playing in the background and it's clear he cannot help but remember the good times with Davis.