NEW YORK (NYT NEWS SERVICE).- John Davis, one of the real voices behind lip-syncing pop duo Milli Vanilli, died in Nuremberg, Germany, on Monday. He was 66.

His daughter, Jasmin, who confirmed the news of his death on Facebook, said he had COVID-19.

While living in Germany in the 1980s, Davis started unknowingly singing for the group after he met Frank Farian, a German music producer. Farian asked Davis to work on a project, but he did not disclose that his voice would be used for others to lip-sync, Davis told "The Hustle" podcast on an episode posted in April.

Only later would he discover that his voice was being used by Fabrice Morvan, one-half of Milli Vanilli, with Rob Pilatus.

“The truth is, I signed a contract with Frank Farian before I even knew who Milli Vanilli was,” Davis said. “One evening, I was sitting at home watching my TV, and I saw Fab singing ‘Girl I’m Gonna Miss You.’”

Milli Vanilli was best known for hits such as “I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Girl You Know It’s True,” and won the Grammy for best new artist in 1989.

By 1990, Milli Vanilli’s work had sold more than 7 million copies, but after Morvan and Pilatus admitted that they did not actually sing on Milli Vanilli’s albums or in concerts, they were stripped of the award.

Morvan and Pilatus then told the Los Angeles Times that they wanted to give the award to those who actually voiced their work, including Davis, Brad Howell and Charles Shaw.




“I didn’t want the Grammy because it was their faces and our voices,” Davis said. “I was mad.”

Pilatus died in 1998, but Davis and Morvan later had an amicable relationship, and they even performed together.

On Friday, Morvan shared a video with pictures of him performing with Davis.

“Your golden voice will continue to be heard, you best believe that those classic records will live just like you eternally,” Morvan said on Twitter.

Additional details about survivors were not immediately available Saturday.

Davis, who was born on Aug. 31, 1954, in Anderson, South Carolina, was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army and stayed there for much of his life, he told "The Hustle."

While in Germany, Davis found many opportunities to play in Army clubs in the 1970s, he told the podcast.

Davis said he learned how to play music from his father, a choir director who played piano and guitar.

“My one mission I had on this earth was to become a musician and to play music,” Davis said.

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