John Davis, known as one of the studio voices behind the duo Milli Vanilli, has died of coronavirus at the age of 66.
The singer died Monday evening, according to a statement his daughter Jasmin Davis provided to the news media. She shared a video on social media of her father singing a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah writing about his “happy spirit.”
She wrote: “He made a lot of people happy with his laughter and smile, his happy spirit, love and especially through his music. He gave so much to the world! Please give him the last round of applause. We will miss him dearly.”
Davis was credited as one of the real voices behind the R&B group Milli Vanilli. In the 1990s the group’s frontmen Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus were exposed for lip-syncing their records; while Davis and other singers were the talents behind the music from their 1989 Girl You Know It’s True album.
The album sold 7 million copies and made Morvan and Pilatus international stars; winning a Grammy for the best new artist. Years later, the duo’s producer confirmed to the public that the group was lip-syncing. Because of this, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences stripped Milli Vanilli of their Grammy.
They disbanded Milli Vanilli and re-formed as Rob and Fab in 1991 but had little commercial success. Pilatus died in 1998 in a German hotel room after consuming alcohol and pills.