Boney M are a Euro-Caribbean vocal group invented by German record producer Frank Farian, and who were originally based in West Germany. Boney M’s four original members were Liz Mitchell (born July 12, 1952) and Marcia Barrett (born October 14, 1948) from Jamaica, Maizie Williams (born March 25, 1961) from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell (born October 6, 1949 - December 30, 2010) a performing artist from Aruba. Boney M were initially a solo studio project of Farian’s, where he’d recorded the number Baby Do You Wanna Bump, and when it eventually became a hit across Europe, he decided to hire performers to ‘be’ Boney M. The group’s big break came in 1976 when they performed the song Daddy Cool for a German TV show, leading to the song becoming a big hit across Europe. Boney M sold over 100 million records during their imperial phase, and were absolutely huge in 1978 with their two million-selling UK Official Singles Chart Number 1s, Rivers of Babylon/ Brown Girl In The Ring and Christmas Number 1 Mary’s Boy Child, as well as the UK Official Album Charts Number 1 album Nightflight To Venus. Boney M went through a myriad of members as the hits dried up, with Farian using new vocalists to front the brand.
