Bobby Farrell
Encyclopedia
Roberto "Bobby" Alfonso Farrell (6 October 1949 30 December 2010) was an Aruban dancer and performer, best known as the male member of the successful 1970s pop and disco group Boney M.
in the Lesser Antilles
, where he lived until the age of 15. After finishing school he worked as a sailor for 2 years, travelling across the oceans before settling in Norway. From Norway, he went to the Netherlands, where he got some work as a DJ in the Netherlands before getting better opportunities in Germany.
spotted him for his new Boney M. group. He became the sole male singer in the group, although Farian later revealed that Bobby made almost no vocal contributions to the group's records, with Farian himself performing the male parts on the songs in the studio. Liz Mitchell
claimed that only she, Marcia Barrett
and Farian had sung on the hit recordings. Farrell did, however, perform live in some of the various incarnations of 'Boney M', including the main 1970s incarnation.
He also appeared as a dancer in late 2005 in the Roger Sanchez
video clip of Turn on the Music.
, in the neighbourhood of Gaasperdam
in the borough of Amsterdam Zuidoost
.
He died on the morning of 30 December 2010, in a hotel in Saint Petersburg
, due to heart failure. His agent John Seine said Farrell was complaining of breathing problems after performing with his band the evening before. Farrell's body was reportedly discovered by hotel staff after he failed to respond to a wake-up call.
Bobby Farrell's Boney M. / Boney M. Featuring Bobby Farrell / Bobby Farrell Featuring Sandy Chambers
Please note: all of these releases contain re-recordings of Boney M.'s hits - not the original versions.
Early years
Farrell was born and raised on the island of ArubaAruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
in the Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
, where he lived until the age of 15. After finishing school he worked as a sailor for 2 years, travelling across the oceans before settling in Norway. From Norway, he went to the Netherlands, where he got some work as a DJ in the Netherlands before getting better opportunities in Germany.
Years with Boney M.
In Germany, he worked mostly as a DJ until 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...
spotted him for his new Boney M. group. He became the sole male singer in the group, although Farian later revealed that Bobby made almost no vocal contributions to the group's records, with Farian himself performing the male parts on the songs in the studio. Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell is a singer, best known as the former lead singer of the 1970s disco/pop band, Boney M.-Early life:...
claimed that only she, Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett , is one of the original singers with the vocal group, Boney M.-The early years:...
and Farian had sung on the hit recordings. Farrell did, however, perform live in some of the various incarnations of 'Boney M', including the main 1970s incarnation.
He also appeared as a dancer in late 2005 in the Roger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez
Roger Sanchez, also known as Roger S. and The S Man, is a Grammy award-winning American House music DJ who has scored many hits in the European and World Charts...
video clip of Turn on the Music.
Later years and death
Farrell lived for many years in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, in the neighbourhood of Gaasperdam
Gaasperdam
Gaasperdam is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands....
in the borough of Amsterdam Zuidoost
Amsterdam Zuidoost
Amsterdam-Zuidoost is one of fifteen boroughs of the city of Amsterdam. It consists of four residential areas—Bijlmermeer, Venserpolder, Gaasperdam and Driemond—as well as the Amstel III/Bullewijk Business Park and the ArenA Boulevard area.Amsterdam-Zuidoost has approximately 86,000...
.
He died on the morning of 30 December 2010, in a hotel in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, due to heart failure. His agent John Seine said Farrell was complaining of breathing problems after performing with his band the evening before. Farrell's body was reportedly discovered by hotel staff after he failed to respond to a wake-up call.
Discography
Singles- 1982: Polizei / A Fool In Love
- 1985: King Of Dancing / I See You
- 1987: Hoppa Hoppa / Hoppa Hoppa (Instrumental)
- 1991: Tribute To Josephine Baker
- 2004: Aruban Style (Mixes) S-Cream Featuring Bobby Farrell
- 2006: The Bump EP
Bobby Farrell's Boney M. / Boney M. Featuring Bobby Farrell / Bobby Farrell Featuring Sandy Chambers
- 2000: The Best Of Boney M. (DVMore)
- 2001: Boney M. – I Successi (DVMore)
- 2001: The Best Of Boney M. (II) (compilation)
- 2001: The Best Of Boney M. (III) (compilation)
- 2005: Boney M. – Remix 2005 (featuring Sandy Chambers) (compilation) (Crisler)
- 2007: Boney M. – Disco Collection (compilation)
Please note: all of these releases contain re-recordings of Boney M.'s hits - not the original versions.