Rob Pilatus
Encyclopedia
Robert "Rob" Pilatus was a German
-American
model
, dancer and singer. Pilatus was best known as half of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli
.
soldier and a German mother who worked as an adult entertainer. He was adopted as an infant by a German family who raised him in Munich
. Pilatus worked as a model and break dance
r, before joining Fabrice Morvan in 1988 to form the pop group Milli Vanilli.
, who signed them to be part of a musical act. Shortly after a trip to Turkey
, where the duo reputedly took its name from a local advertising slogan, Milli Vanilli was born. Pilatus and Morvan served as the public faces for singers Charles Shaw
and Brad Howell, who Farian thought were talented but lacked a marketable image.
The first Milli Vanilli platinum album
was Girl You Know It's True
, which became a worldwide hit. The album produced five hit singles including three number 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 February 21, 1990 for "Girl You Know It's True".
Despite the enormous success, the duo were a frequent target of rumours and allegations of onstage lip-synching and not having sung on the album. Charles Shaw
, one of the actual vocalists, told a reporter the truth, but retracted his statement after Farian paid him $150,000.
When Pilatus and Morvan pressured Farian to let them sing on the next album, Farian admitted to reporters on November 15, 1990 that they had not performed on the recordings. Milli Vanilli's Grammy Award was withdrawn four days later, and Arista Records dropped them from its roster and deleted their album and songs from their catalog, making Girl You Know It's True the largest-selling album to ever be taken out of print. A court ruling in the United States allowed anyone who had bought the album to receive a refund.
Farian later attempted an unsuccessful comeback for the group without Pilatus and Morvan. Months after the scandal, Pilatus and Morvan appeared in a commercial for Carefree
sugarless chewing gum. In it the duo lip-synched to an opera recording. An announcer asked, "How long does the taste of Carefree Sugarless Gum last?" The record began to skip and the announcer added, "Until these guys sing for themselves."
In 1993, Pilatus and Morvan signed with a new label, Taj, and released Rob & Fab
, an album featuring their own voices; it sold an embarrassing 2,000 copies. The label went bankrupt shortly thereafter.
, before returning to Germany from the United States.
On April 2, 1998, Rob Pilatus was found dead at the age of 32 from a suspected alcohol and prescription pill overdose in a Frankfurt hotel room. His death was ruled accidental.
announced it was developing a movie based on Milli Vanilli's rise and fall in the music industry. Jeff Nathanson
, screenwriter for Catch Me If You Can
, was slated to write and direct the film.
album was released.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, dancer and singer. Pilatus was best known as half of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli
Milli Vanilli
Milli Vanilli was a pop/dance music project formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, visually fronted by Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The group's debut album achieved international success and earned them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist on Feb. 21, 1990. Milli Vanilli became one of the most...
.
Early life
Rob Pilatus was born in New York City, the son of an African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
soldier and a German mother who worked as an adult entertainer. He was adopted as an infant by a German family who raised him in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. Pilatus worked as a model and break dance
Break Dance
Break Dance is a Commodore 64 computer game that relies on players making dancing moves that resemble the classic game Simon says.-Gameplay:...
r, before joining Fabrice Morvan in 1988 to form the pop group Milli Vanilli.
Milli Vanilli
Pilatus and Morvan were noticed by music producer Frank FarianFrank Farian
Frank Farian , is a German record producer and songwriter. He started out as a trained cook before moving into the music industry...
, who signed them to be part of a musical act. Shortly after a trip to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, where the duo reputedly took its name from a local advertising slogan, Milli Vanilli was born. Pilatus and Morvan served as the public faces for singers Charles Shaw
Charles Shaw (singer)
Charles Shaw is a rapper and singer who, in 1988, performed on recordings credited to Milli Vanilli.Shaw, a US Army veteran, was reportedly paid $6,000 to perform the rap on Milli Vanilli's hit "Girl You Know It’s True"...
and Brad Howell, who Farian thought were talented but lacked a marketable image.
The first Milli Vanilli platinum album
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
was Girl You Know It's True
Girl You Know It's True
Girl You Know It's True is a 1989 album that was the U.S. debut of pop group Milli Vanilli.In 1989, the majority of songs from Milli Vanilli's Europe-only release All or Nothing were repackaged and retitled Girl You Know It's True...
, which became a worldwide hit. The album produced five hit singles including three number 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
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967...
on February 21, 1990 for "Girl You Know It's True".
Despite the enormous success, the duo were a frequent target of rumours and allegations of onstage lip-synching and not having sung on the album. Charles Shaw
Charles Shaw (singer)
Charles Shaw is a rapper and singer who, in 1988, performed on recordings credited to Milli Vanilli.Shaw, a US Army veteran, was reportedly paid $6,000 to perform the rap on Milli Vanilli's hit "Girl You Know It’s True"...
, one of the actual vocalists, told a reporter the truth, but retracted his statement after Farian paid him $150,000.
When Pilatus and Morvan pressured Farian to let them sing on the next album, Farian admitted to reporters on November 15, 1990 that they had not performed on the recordings. Milli Vanilli's Grammy Award was withdrawn four days later, and Arista Records dropped them from its roster and deleted their album and songs from their catalog, making Girl You Know It's True the largest-selling album to ever be taken out of print. A court ruling in the United States allowed anyone who had bought the album to receive a refund.
Farian later attempted an unsuccessful comeback for the group without Pilatus and Morvan. Months after the scandal, Pilatus and Morvan appeared in a commercial for Carefree
Carefree
Carefree may refer to:*Carefree, Arizona, town in the United States*Carefree , a football chant sung by Chelsea FC supporters*Carefree , 2008*Carefree , feminine hygiene product...
sugarless chewing gum. In it the duo lip-synched to an opera recording. An announcer asked, "How long does the taste of Carefree Sugarless Gum last?" The record began to skip and the announcer added, "Until these guys sing for themselves."
In 1993, Pilatus and Morvan signed with a new label, Taj, and released Rob & Fab
Rob & Fab
Rob & Fab was a US pop and dance music project formed and fronted by Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan in 1990 after their participation in the commercially very successful but ill-fated Milli Vanilli band project....
, an album featuring their own voices; it sold an embarrassing 2,000 copies. The label went bankrupt shortly thereafter.
Death
In the years following the collapse of Milli Vanilli, Rob Pilatus struggled with substance abuse and even suicide attempts. After their unsuccessful comeback, Morvan and Pilatus stopped speaking to each other. In 1996, Pilatus served three months in prison for assault, vandalism, and attempted robbery. He also spent six months in drug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
, before returning to Germany from the United States.
On April 2, 1998, Rob Pilatus was found dead at the age of 32 from a suspected alcohol and prescription pill overdose in a Frankfurt hotel room. His death was ruled accidental.
Film
On February 14, 2007, Universal PicturesUniversal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
announced it was developing a movie based on Milli Vanilli's rise and fall in the music industry. Jeff Nathanson
Jeff Nathanson
Jeff Nathanson is an American film writer, film producer, and director.He is best known for his work on the Rush Hour series, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, and The Last Shot, and has also co-written a story draft for the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with George Lucas...
, screenwriter for Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...
, was slated to write and direct the film.
Milli Vanilli Greatest Hits album
On March 26, 2007, the Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Milli Vanilli album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation by German pop duo Milli Vanilli. The album artwork of Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan despite the 1990 scandal that confirmed neither actually sang vocals on the tracks; a sticker included as part of the packaging credits Pilatus and Morvan with "visual...
album was released.
Milli Vanilli
- All or NothingAll or Nothing (Milli Vanilli album)All or Nothing was the debut album by the dance pop duo Milli Vanilli, released only in Europe on the BMG label in November 1988. In 1989, it was repackaged and retitled Girl You Know It's True for release in the United States on the Arista label, with several of the original album tracks replaced...
(1988) - All or Nothing (remix album)All or Nothing (remix album)All or Nothing is the worldwide, non-American version of Girl You Know It's True, released in 1989, as the original album, All or Nothing, was released in Europe in November 1988....
(1989) - Girl You Know It's TrueGirl You Know It's TrueGirl You Know It's True is a 1989 album that was the U.S. debut of pop group Milli Vanilli.In 1989, the majority of songs from Milli Vanilli's Europe-only release All or Nothing were repackaged and retitled Girl You Know It's True...
(1989) - The Remix AlbumThe Remix Album (Milli Vanilli)-Personnel:* Charles Shaw — vocals, backing vocals* John Davis — vocals, backing vocals* Brad Howell — vocals* Jodie Rocco — vocals* Linda Rocco — vocals* Frank Farian — producer...
(1990) - Back and in Attack (1998) Album studio not for sale
- Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Milli Vanilli album)Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation by German pop duo Milli Vanilli. The album artwork of Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan despite the 1990 scandal that confirmed neither actually sang vocals on the tracks; a sticker included as part of the packaging credits Pilatus and Morvan with "visual...
(2006)