“He was no saint”
Funeral service for Frank Farian in Berlin
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It has been several weeks since his death. But now family, friends and prominent acquaintances in Berlin are once again saying goodbye to music producer Frank Farian, who made history with bands like Boney M. and Milli Vanilli. His daughter Nicole Reuther finds touching words.
Relatives and companions remembered the music producer Frank Farian at a memorial service in Berlin. The mastermind behind the 70s hit “Daddy Cool” died in Miami at the age of 82, his family announced at the end of January.
Daughter Nicole Reuther spoke at the funeral service.
(Photo: picture alliance/dpa)
Farian's daughter Nicole Reuther said: “He was not a saint and he never wanted to be one. It was even important for him to be a man with rough edges.” The 43-year-old spoke with a sometimes shaky voice. “He was different from how he was perceived in public.”
Reuther revealed what her father told her just five days before his death: If he could choose how he would die, he would like to fall asleep peacefully at a mixer and be found the next morning. “There was no mixer nearby, but his last wish was granted,” she said. “When he left, his heart was full and his dreams were as big as ever.”
Some prominent guests
Moderator Fritz Egner led the funeral service, and Berlin's Senator for Culture Joe Chialo was among the around 120 participants, as well as family members. According to RTL information, the colleagues from show business who said goodbye to Farian included the former Modern Talking singer Thomas Anders and ex-model Natascha Ochsenknecht.
Farian was born Franz Reuther on July 18, 1941 in Kirn an der Nahe in Rhineland-Palatinate. His name stood for international success in the music business. Since his sad hit “Rocky” (1976), he has hardly appeared himself. His mega success began as a man in the background and producer – for example with the group Boney M.
A similar project followed with Milli Vanilli – but it became a scandal in the music business. After numerous awards, it was revealed that the duo had not sung themselves, but had only moved their lips to the voices of professional singers. The case is still considered one of the biggest cheating scandals in music history and was the basis for the film “Girl You Know It's True” last year, in which Matthias Schweighöfer played the young Farian.
