Bobby Farrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bobby Farrell
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Bobby Farrell with Boney M in 2006
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| Born |
Roberto Alfonso Farrell
6 October 1949 San Nicolaas, Aruba
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| Died | 30 December 2010 (aged 61) Saint Petersburg, Russia
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1975–2010 |
| Spouse(s) |
Jasmina Shaban
(m. 1981; div. 1995) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Associated acts | Boney M. |
Roberto Alfonso Farrell (born October 6, 1949 – died December 30, 2010) was a famous dancer, singer, and DJ from Aruba. He was best known as the only male member of the super popular 1970s pop and disco group, Boney M.. Bobby Farrell was known for his energetic dance moves and exciting stage presence.
Contents
Who Was Bobby Farrell?
Early Life and Travels
Bobby Farrell was born and grew up on the island of Aruba. This island was part of the Netherlands Antilles at the time. When he was 15, he finished school and started working on ships for two years.
After that, he moved to Norway. Then he went to the Netherlands, where he sometimes worked as a DJ. He later found more opportunities in Germany.
Joining Boney M.
In Germany, Bobby Farrell mostly worked as a DJ. Then, a music producer named Frank Farian discovered him. Farian was creating a new group called Boney M.. Bobby became the main male performer in the group. He was famous for his dancing and exciting shows.
Bobby Farrell left Boney M. in 1981. He tried to start his own music career. But he rejoined the group in 1984. He stayed with Boney M. until they officially stopped performing together in 1986. This was because Frank Farian had planned for Boney M. to be a 10-year project.
After the group split, Bobby Farrell's daughter, Zanillya, said that her father lost money from Boney M.'s hits. She explained that he signed papers that took away his rights to the band's earnings. This meant he lost his income after the band ended.
However, his wife realized that the name "Boney M." was not registered everywhere. So, Bobby could still perform in some countries using the name "Bobby Farrell's Boney M."
In 1988, Bobby Farrell and the three original female singers of Boney M. got back together. They released new versions of their songs. They also performed on TV shows. One of their songs even reached number one in France! But this reunion only lasted about a year. Soon after, Bobby started touring with his own group. They performed Boney M.'s hits under the name Bobby Farrell's Boney M.
In 2005, Bobby Farrell also appeared as a dancer in a music video. It was for the song "Turn on the Music" by Roger Sanchez.
Later Years and Passing
For many years, Bobby Farrell lived in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. In 1981, he married Jasmina Shaban. They had two children: a daughter named Zanillya (born in 1983) and a son named Zanin. Bobby and Jasmina later separated in 1995.
Bobby Farrell passed away on December 30, 2010. He was in a hotel room in St. Petersburg, Russia. His agent said that Bobby had been having trouble breathing after performing the night before. Hotel staff found him when he did not answer a wake-up call. He died from heart failure.
Interestingly, he passed away on the same date and in the same city as Grigori Rasputin. Rasputin was the subject of one of Boney M.'s most famous songs, "Rasputin." Bobby Farrell had even dressed up as Rasputin for some live shows. Bobby Farrell was buried in the Zorgvlied cemetery in Amsterdam.
His daughter, Zanillya Farrell, became a rapper. In 2011, she won a national music award in the hip hop category in the Netherlands.
Music Bobby Farrell Released
Singles
- 1982: "Polizei" / "A Fool in Love"
- 1985: "King of Dancing" / "I See You"
- 1985: "Happy Song"
- 1987: "Hoppa Hoppa" / "Hoppa Hoppa" (instrumental)
- 1991: "Tribute to Josephine Baker"
- 2004: "Aruban Style" (Mixes) - S-Cream featuring Bobby Farrell
- 2006: The Bump EP
- 2010: "Bamboo Song" (Roundhouse Records)
Music Collections
(as "Bobby Farrell's Boney M." / as "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)
- 2001: The Best of Boney M. (III)
- 2005: Boney M. – Remix 2005 (featuring Sandy Chambers) (Crisler)
- 2007: Boney M. – Disco Collection
These collections include new recordings of Boney M.'s hits, not the original versions.
See also
In Spanish: Bobby Farrell para niños
