John Davis, the singer who was one of the unseen voices for the 80s duo Milli Vanilli, died from COVID-19 complications at the age of 66.
What We Know:
John’s daughter Jasmine broke the news on his Facebook page Monday evening. “Unfortunately my dad passed away this evening through the coronavirus,” she stated under a video of him singing. She also said through John’s “laughter and smile, his happy spirit, love and especially through his music,” he positively impacted many people.
John’s voice became popular in the late 80s when German R&B Group Milli Vanilli, composed of singers Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, released their debut album Girl You Know It’s True in the United States. He came across Milli Vanilli’s producer, Frank Farian, after moving to Germany and working as a studio singer and bass player in the late 70s. Farian eventually asked him to join the group as a backup singer after firing Charles Shaw; Farian believed Shaw was telling people the truth about the duo’s vocal secret.
The hit song, “Girl You Know It’s True,” which John did a soft rap for, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for 200 weeks. The band’s popularity led them to recognition at the 1989 Grammys, where they won the award for Best New Artist.
Eventually, Farian, Pilatus, and Morvan revealed to the public that the duo used other people’s vocals for their album. The announcement resulted in the Grammys rescinding their award in 1990. After the revelation, Farian re-created the group with John and the other backup singers and called it the Real Milli Vanilli; it also included the original Milli Vanilli frontliner, Brad Howell.
The Real Milli Vanilli released The Moment of Truth, originally made as Milli Vanilli’s second album, in 1991. The record came out in Brazil, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand. In addition, it made Germany’s Top 20 that year, with one of its singles, “Keep on Running,” climbing to No. 4 in the country’s charts.
Alongside his recognition with the two music groups, John issued two solo albums: Joker in 1980, and Still Be Loving You, recorded with Farian, in 1990.
Morvan took to Twitter to express his feelings about John’s death. He thanked John for all the love he spread, and also said how much fun the two shared “with the help of music.” The two stayed close friends after the musical scandal.
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. pic.twitter.com/tlvSEiYoS4— Fab Morvan (@fabmorvan) May 24, 2021
Milli Vanilli’s official Twitter account shared their condolences as well. The tweet emphasizes the importance of John’s contribution to the band’s fame.
It’s a sad day….. RIP John. We wouldn’t be who we are without you….. 🙏 https://t.co/RihUnDjPdL
— Milli Vanilli (@MilliVanilli) May 25, 2021
Moreover, Jasmine went on to create another Facebook post with a link to a GoFundMe page. In the link, she writes that the Davis family cannot manage funeral expenses, but would like to help John experience “one last performance” with those he loved. She explained that any donations would help the cause. As of Friday, €17,319 had been raised, exceeding the petition’s €13,500 goal.
Black News Alerts honor John’s impact on pop culture, especially as it went unseen for so long. We send our thoughts and prayers to John’s family and hope he rests in peace.
