Fab Morvan

Fab Morvan

Fab Morvan at the 79th Annual Academy Awards, Children Uniting Nations/ Billboard afterparty, 2007.
Background information
Born (1966-05-14) 14 May 1966
Paris, France
Origin Guadeloupe, France
Genres Dance, pop, rap, funk, R&B
Years active 1988–present
Labels Arista Records, BMG, Elixir Records, Hansa Records and Joss Entertainment Group
Associated acts Milli Vanilli, Rob & Fab, Boney M.
Website

Fabrice "Fab" Morvan (born 14 May 1966) is a French singer-songwriter, dancer and model. He was half of the pop duo Milli Vanilli, with Rob Pilatus, selling multi-platinum albums around the world. However, he was later involved in one of the largest scandals in pop music history when it was revealed that neither he nor Pilatus had actually sung on any of Milli Vanilli's recordings. After the scandal, the group reformed as Rob & Fab in the 1990s with limited success. Morvan had a solo comeback in the 2000s releasing his first solo album, Love Revolution.

Biography

Early years

Morvan was born in 1966 in Paris, France, to parents from Guadeloupe.[1] At 18, he moved to Germany, where he was a dancer and model, and was influenced by funk, soul, rap and pop music. He met Rob Pilatus in a nightclub in Munich. They decided to form a rock/soul group.

Fame

Morvan and Pilatus were noticed by music producer Frank Farian, who signed them as part of a musical act. Shortly after a trip to Turkey, where they reputedly got the band's name from a local advertising slogan, Milli Vanilli was born. Morvan and Pilatus served as the public faces for singers Charles Shaw, John Davis, and Brad Howell, who Farian thought were talented musicians but lacked a marketable image.

The first Milli Vanilli album was Girl You Know It's True. Despite critical derision, Milli Vanilli's fame continued to grow worldwide. The album had four hit singles: the title track, and the group's three #1 hits, "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You", "Baby Don't Forget My Number", and "Blame It on the Rain". Milli Vanilli won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist on 22 February 1990 for Girl You Know It's True.

Morvan and Pilatus were a frequent target of rumours and allegations of on-stage lip-synching and not having sung on the album. Shaw told a reporter the truth about Milli Vanilli, but recanted after Farian paid him $150,000 to do so .

When Morvan and Pilatus pressured Farian to let them sing on the next album, Farian admitted to reporters on 15 November 1990 that Morvan and Pilatus had not actually sung on any of the records. Milli Vanilli's Grammy was withdrawn four days later. Arista Records dropped the act from its roster and deleted their album and its masters from their catalog, making Girl You Know It's True one of the largest-selling albums to ever be taken out of print. A court allowed any American who bought the album to get a refund.

Farian would later attempt a failed comeback for the group without Morvan and Pilatus.

Aftermath

Months later, Morvan and Pilatus parodied the scandal in a commercial for Carefree sugarless gum. They began to lip sync to an opera recording. An announcer asked as they were lip synching, "How long does the taste of Carefree sugarless gum last?" The record then began to skip and the announcer answers, "Until these guys sing for themselves."[2]

They then moved to Los Angeles, where they released an eponymous album under the name Rob & Fab. Despite positive reviews from critics, the album failed due to financial constraints, poor promotion, and the scandal surrounding Milli Vanilli's lip-synching allegations. The album itself only sold around 2,000 copies.

Pilatus later served three months jail for assault, vandalism, and attempted robbery. He spent six months on drug rehabilitation before returning to Germany. He died of an alcohol and prescription drug overdose at a hotel in Frankfurt on 2 April 1998.

Solo comeback

Morvan spent several years as a session musician and public speaker. In 1998, he was hired as a radio DJ at famed L.A. radio station KIIS-FM. During this time, he also performed at the station's sold-out 1999 Wango Tango festival concert before 50,000 people at Dodger Stadium.

In 1997, Morvan was interviewed for the premiere episode of VH-1's Behind the Music. He was also featured in a 2000 BBC documentary on Milli Vanilli. Morvan then spent 2001 on tour, before performing in 2002 as the inaugural performer at the brand-new Velvet Lounge at the Hard Rock Café Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

In 2003, Morvan released his first solo album, Love Revolution, producing, recording, writing and singing all the tracks. On 14 April 2011, Morvan released a new single, "Anytime", to digital outlets.

On 25 May 2012, Morvan released a single, "See the Light" with a new band, Fabulous Addiction.

In March 2014, it was mentioned that Morvan was working on his next single in Los Angeles with Grammy-winning viral producer Clarence Jey and Grammy-winning singer Delious Kennedy from U.S. R&B group All-4-One.

Morvan also DJs for private Heineken functions at the Heineken Experience center in Amsterdam. As a solo musician, Morvan has worked with several DJ/producers including Don Diablo, Guy J, Dance Spirit, Desert Minds, DJ Prinz, Patrick BP Bruyndonx, MuziJunki, Sean McCaff, Limoncello, Guan Elmzoom, and has collaborated on well-received dance releases with several. Some of his other pursuits include writing, painting and fashion design.

Film and Best of the Best album

On 14 February 2007, it was announced that Universal Pictures was developing a film based on the true story of Milli Vanilli's rise and fall in the music industry. Jeff Nathanson, screenwriter from Catch Me If You Can, was to write and direct the film. Morvan was supposed to serve as a consultant, providing his and Pilatus' point of view.[3][4] However, the project was never completed. In 2011 German director Florian Gallenberger declared that he was reviving the project and would be rewriting the script.[5]

On 26 March 2007, the Milli Vanilli Best of the Best album was released.

Morvan now resides in Amsterdam and Los Angeles as of 2010.[6]

Discography

Milli Vanilli

Rob & Fab

Solo

Fabulous Addiction

NightAir

In July 2014, Morvan released a cover of the Eagles song "One of These Nights" with the project NightAir on Sony Music Belgium.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Milli Vanilli – Biography".
  2. ↑ Elliott, Stuart (14 June 1991). "Milli Vanilli Appears Again". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
  3. ↑ Variety.com : Universal sets up Milli Vanilli film, by Michael Fleming, 14 February 2007
  4. ↑ RollingStone.com : Girl, You Know It's True: Milli Vanilli Biopic will reveal the truth (!), by Nicole Frehsee, 20 February 2007
  5. ↑ “Milli Vanilli” Movie Gets Rewrite And New Director, FIX, 16 February 2011
  6. ↑ http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20446957,00.html
  7. ↑ EM Magazine: Sony Music Presents NightAir

External links

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