Milli Vanilli's Lip-Synced Rise to Grammy Fame

Milli Vanilli, a German pop/R&B/dance group, exploded onto the European pop scene in the summer of 1988. Rob Pilatus, age 23, and Fabrice Morvan, age 22, led the group.

In May 1988, Pilatus and Morvan toured France, Italy, and Spain for four months, promoting their debut single, "Girl You Know It's True." Their good looks and distinct look—hair extensions, spandex shorts, and thigh-high boots—built an audience fast.

"Girl You Know It's True" reached No. 1 on German charts in August 1988 and stayed there forsix weeks.The song also hit the Top 5 in several other European countries.

The debut album's European success wasAll Or Nothing.This led to an American release via Arista Records. The revised and retitled version,Girl You Know It's True.featuring the main single, was released in early 1989.

Milli Vanilli quickly became huge in the States. "Girl You Know It's True" reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned platinum certification in April 1989. A few months later, "Blame It On The Rain" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Milli Vanillithe first duo or group in chart history to have three Hot 100 No. 1 songs from one debut album.Their debut album achieved three Hot 100 No. 1 songs.6x platinum certification in the US.

Pilatus and Morvan, dancers and part-time models, met at a dance club in the mid-1980s. Both wanted music careers, so they teamed up. By 1987, they had a reputation as a dance duo in the Munich club scene. They recorded an album for a small German label, but it lacked commercial success.

Frank Farian, a known German music producer, noticed the duo's work.Farian hoped to hire them for background vocals on some projects.The duo met Farian at his Frankfurt studio in 1988. They arrived, and the producer played a demo of "Girl You Know It's True." The song,a longer version of which the US group Numarx released in 1987, became popular in German dance clubs. Farian heard the song and recorded a vocal demo with session singers.The group gained popularity in German dance clubs. Frank Farian heard the song and recorded a demo with session singers for the vocals.

Farian had found success in Europe with the disco-turned-Europop group Boney M., but he sought an American market entry. He met Brad Howell and John Davis, former American servicemen who could sing and rap, but neither manhad the right look.Farian thought Pilatus and Morvan had the look for the bouncy pop music he aimed to produce.

In 1988, Farian signed Pilatus and Morvan to a contract stating the duo wouldperform on recordings.and obligate Farian to produce at least 10 songs annually for Milli Vanilli. But Fariandid not consider them good enough vocalists.

Howell and Charles Shaw, another former American soldier, sang the lead vocals. Jodie and Linda Rocco provided background vocals on the final recording of "Girl You Know It's True." Farian kept the recording sessions after midnight to hide the real vocalists.Farian recorded the sessions after midnight.Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan became Milli Vanilli. They never sang a note.

Pilatus and Morvan did not perform any vocals when promoting the music on the road. They lip-synced and danced to pre-recorded tracks instead.

When Milli Vanilli arrived in the States in early 1989, the duo's weak English and thick accents raised questions about their recordings' validity. As the American press began showing these suspicions, the duo requested to stop doing interviews.The duo requested to stop doing interviews.During a live MTV performance, the backing track skipped repeatedly. This exposed the duo's lip-syncing.

The first live indication of lip-syncing occurred in Bristol, CT on July 21, 1989, during an MTV show. While lip-syncing "Girl You Know It's True," the track jammed, repeating "Girl You Know It." Morvan and Pilatus then left the stage. MTV personality "Downtown" Julie Brown chased Pilatus and convinced him to finish the performance.Julie Brown convinced Pilatus to finish the performance.A live MTV performance showed the backing track skipping repeatedly. This exposed the duo's lip-syncing.

The audience seemed unbothered, maybe because they believed the duo lip-synced to their own recordings. Still, the incident caused some media members to question the act's legitimacy.

In 1990, Milli Vanilli won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, defeating Neneh Cherry, the Indigo Girls, Soul II Soul, and Tone Lōc.

"Accepting a Grammy in front of everyone I knew from the Billboard charts felt like an out-of-body experience."Morvan stated in 2010.. "But knowing everything we knew—the story behind the story—we felt conflicted. Confusion filled the minds of those two young men on the podium."

As Milli Vanilli gained commercial success and awards, the lie that Pilatus and Morvan were the actual singers faced exposure.

Farian tried to stop the Milli Vanilli deception by stopping the real singers from discussing their work. Backup vocalists Jodie and Linda Rocco were even forbidden from appearing in public with Pilatus and Morvan.Jodie and Linda Rocco were forbidden from being seen in public with Pilatus and Morvan.In December 1989, Charles Shaw revealed he sang on the album. Then, he took back his claim for $150,000.

While some singers stayed in the background, Shaw, who performed the soft rap part on "Girl You Know It's True," felt more conflicted. As early as summer 1988, he started telling the German press he was the real rapper on the single.Shaw began telling the German press he was the real rapper on the single.Pilatus and Morvan moved from Munich to London to avoid rumors. However, rumors followed them; one radio host even demanded the duo sing live on his show to prove their voices were on the single. Morvan told the Los Angeles Times

Charles Shaw revealed he sang on the album in December 1989. He then recanted his $150,000 claim.Los Angeles TimesIn 1990, everything suddenly felt like another world. Tension stayed constant. You want to tell someone, but you cannot. Realizing what you did hits you like a hammer.

Farian fired Shaw and hired Davis. Shaw did not leave. He reappeared in late 1989, telling a reporter from Newsday that he was a performer on Milli Vanilli's recordings. Shaw later recanted this story.NewsdayShaw claimed he performed on Milli Vanilli's recordings. He later took back his story.Farian paid off Shaw..

Pilatus and Morvan pushed Farian for artistic input on the music. They wanted them to sing on future releases. The producer paid the duo $20,000 advance after the second single, "Baby Don't Forget My Number," released. Shortly after the debut album, "All Or Nothing," came out in Europe, the duo saw Farian would not let them sing.All Or Nothing, was released in Europe, the duo realized FarianFarian would not let them sing..

The duo kept trying to be Milli Vanilli's vocalists on new projects. Between January and September 1990, lawyers for Pilatus and Morvan sent Farian dozens of letters demanding he let them sing on the next album.

In May, Alan Mintz, one of the duo's lawyers, met Farian in Frankfurt. They reached a verbal deal allowing Pilatus and Morvan to sing on the next album. Talks failed. Farian refused to negotiate with anyone except Pilatus and Morvan.

The pair met the producer in New York in July. They agreed Pilatus and Morvan would record lead vocals for the next record. However, when they traveled to Frankfurt in August to record, they were not allowed to do so.They were not allowed to do so.Instead, when Farian premiered the new album for European record executives at a listening party in Frankfurt, a female vocalist and an American rapper sang the lead vocals.

Instead, Farian premiered a new Milli Vanilli dance track, "Keep On Running," in Europe in early November, without Pilatus and Morvan's approval.

On November 14, 1990, Farian held a press conference in Germany. He fired the duo and stated neither Pilatus nor Morvan had sung on any Milli Vanilli recordings or concerts. He claimed he only revealed this because he was tired of the duo insisting on singing on future albums.Neither Pilatus nor Morvan had ever sung on any Milli Vanilli recordings or concerts.He claimed he only went public with this revelation because he was tired of the duo insisting on singing on future albums.

A couple of days later, Pilatus and Morvan...held their own press conference.They admitted to lip-syncing and named the actual vocalists. They suggested those singers should receive the Grammy the duo had won. They also tried to prove they could sing with a short performance.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times...Los Angeles TimesFarian expressed confusion in 1990 about how the Milli Vanilli situation differed from other artists who performed to pre-recorded tracks.Farian expressed confusion in 1990 about how the Milli Vanilli situation differed from other artists who performed to pre-recorded tracks.Farian expressed confusion in 1990 about how the Milli Vanilli situation differed from other artists who performed to pre-recorded tracks.

On November 19, 1990, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences' Board of Trustees voted to strip Milli Vanilli of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. President Michael Greene said the main issue was not that Milli Vanilli was fake, but that Pilatus and Morvan were credited on the album as performing the vocals.Pilatus and Morvan were credited on the album as performing the vocals."I think that if Milli Vanilli just had a line that said, 'Milli Vanilli is...' with a list of all the real singers, not just Fab and Rob, we would have never taken this action. Our action is predicated on a falsification of label credit."

Greene said he spoke with Arista Records weeks earlier and was told the lip-syncing rumors had no truth. Still, Pilatus and Morvan claimed they informed Clive Davis.They informed Clive Davis.Pilatus and Morvan informed Clive Davis (head of Arista) and former manager Sandy Gallin about the hoax months before the Grammys.

Arista denied any prior knowledge.Arista denied any prior knowledge of the ruse.Arista quickly dropped the duo and removed their album from circulation.

Farian, Pilatus, Morvan, and Arista Records faced at least 26 class-action lawsuits.At least 26 class-action lawsuits targeted Farian, Pilatus, Morvan, and Arista Records.In August 1991, an Illinois Circuit Court judge accepted a proposal. This proposal allowed anyone in the United States who bought Milli Vanilli's music to get a refund of $3 per CD, $2 per tape or LP, and $1 per single. Also, anyone who proved they attended a Milli Vanilli concert could get a 5 percent ticket price refund.

Milli Vanilli's real vocalists were former American servicemen. They lived in Germany when Fabian hired them. Jodie and Linda Rocco provided most of the background vocals.

After revealing the hoax and firing Pilatus and Morvan, Farian reworked the second album. He released it under the name The Real Milli Vanilli. This group included Howell and Davis plus two new singers, Gina Mohammed and Ray Horton. They earned "The Moment Of Truth".The album The Moment Of Truth was released only in Europe, Brazil, New Zealand, and Asia. It reached the Top 20 in German charts. One single, "Keep On Running," performed well.The album came out only in Europe, Brazil, New Zealand, and Asia. "Keep On Running" hit the Top 20 in German charts, and one single from the album did too.The album reached No. 4 in Germany.The album was produced by Werner Schüler. Kenny Taylor and Morvan wrote most of the songs. Pilatus and Morvan sang the lead vocals. A single, "We Can Get It On," got radio play. Finances only let the album release in the US. Lack of publicity and radio play, plus the duo's fall, caused the album to fail. It reportedly sold about 2,000 copies.

After losing their deal with Arista Records and their reputation broke, Pilatus and Morvan moved to Los Angeles. They rebranded as "Rob & Fab" and...The duo recorded a self-titled album.

TherecordWerner Schüler produced the record. Kenny Taylor and Morvan wrote most songs; Pilatus and Morvan sang the lead vocals. They made "We Can Get It On" available for radio. Money only let them release the album in the US. Lack of publicity, radio play, and their career fall caused the album to fail. It reportedly sold about 2,000 copies.

Failure followed.Rob & Fab.Pilatus and Morvan's relationship soured; they stopped talking for years. Pilatus had to leave a hotel balcony after contacting the Los Angeles Times.Los Angeles Times.Pilatus threatened suicide in 1991. He bounced between treatment while dealing with substance use. In 1996, he faced a three-month jail sentence and six months at a treatment facility.sentenced to three months in jailPilatus beat up a man with a metal lamp base, assaulted another person, and broke into a car.

In 1997, hope for a Milli Vanilli comeback appeared. Farian agreed to produce a new album featuring lead vocals from Pilatus and Morvan.

On the eve of the Milli Vanilli album tour, Pilatus's body was found in "Kent's Cube" near Frankfurt. Authorities ruled it an accidental overdose.Accidental overdose.Pilatus was 32 years old.

Morvan stayed in music after Pilatus died. In 2003, he released his first solo album.Love Revolution Love Revolution.Morvan released singles in 2011 and 2012.

In 2015, Morvan began collaborating with John Davis, the man whose voice he lip-synced years earlier, on an album titledFace Meets Voice: A True Milli Vanilli Experience.The album may never have been released.The two men performed together several times.The two men performed together several times.

Universal Pictures announced in 2007 it was developing a film based on the true story of Milli Vanilli's rise and fall.The story covers Milli Vanilli's rise and fall.Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can) wrote and directed the project. Morvan was scheduled as a consultant, but the film never started.Catch Me If You Can.Proposed movie versions of the hoax have not happened yet.

In 2011, German director Florian Gallenberger announced he would rewrite the script and direct the revived project. Again, the film did not happen.