Rob Pilatus

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Rob Pilatus

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Img_capt = Pilatus, right
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Robert Pilatus
Born = birth date|1965|6|8
Munich, Germany
Died = death date and age|1998|4|2|1965|6|8
Frankfurt, Germany
Origin = Munich, Germany
Genre = Dance, pop, rap, funk
Years_active = 1988–1998
Label = Arista Records, BMG, Hansa Records, Taj
Associated_acts = Empire Bizarre,Milli Vanilli, The Real Milli Vanilli, Rob & Fab

Robert "Rob" Pilatus (June 8, 1965 – April 2, 1998) was a German-American model, dancer and singer. Pilatus was a former member of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli.

Biography

Early life

Pilatus was born in Munich, Germany, the son of an African American soldier and a German mother who was a stripper. Pilatus was later adopted by a German family and raised in Munich. He worked as a model and break dancer before joining Fabrice Morvan in 1988 to form the pop group Milli Vanilli.cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1432182/19980406/milli_vanilli.jhtml|title=Milli Vanilli's Pilatus Dead|date=1998-04-06|publisher=mtv.com|accessdate=2008-07-25]

Milli Vanilli

Pilatus and Morvan were noticed by music producer Frank Farian, who signed them up to be part of a musical act. Shortly after a trip to Turkey, where the duo was reputed to get the band name from a local advertising slogan, Milli Vanilli was born, with Pilatus and Morvan serving as the public faces for the vocal talents of Charles Shaw and Brad Howell, who Farian thought were talented musicians but lacked a marketable image.cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/15/usa.musicnews|title=Hollywood pays lip service to Milli Vanilli|last=Pilikington|first=Ed |date=2007-02-07|publisher=guardian.co.uk|accessdate=2008-07-25]

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". [cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=5209&model.vnuAlbumId=244769|title=Milli Vanilli: Billboard Chart History|publisher=billboard.com|accessdate=2008-07-25] Milli Vanilli won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist on February 21, 1990 for "Girl You Know It's True". [cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/fanfare/ny-ffmus5567351feb10,0,5317518.story|title=Not every Grammy decision was a winner|last=Guzmán|first=Rafer|date=2008-02-10|publisher=newsday.com|accessdate=2008-07-25]

Despite the enormous success, the duo were a frequent target of rumours and allegations of on-stage lip-synching and not having sung on the album. Charles Shaw, one of the actual vocalists of Milli Vanilli, told a reporter about the truth of the group's secret, but later retracted his statement after Farian paid him $150,000. [cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318744,00.html|title=Artificial Vanilli|last=Goodman|first=Fred |coauthors=Trakin, Roy|date=1990-11-30|publisher=ew.com|accessdate=2008-07-25]

When Pilatus and Morvan pressured Farian to let them sing on the next album, Farian revealed the truth to reporters on November 15, 1990 that Pilatus and Morvan did not actually sing on the records and their voices were dubbed. Milli Vanilli's Grammy award was withdrawn four days later [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2D71F3DF936A35751C1A966958260|title=Winner of Grammy Lost By Milli Vanilli: No One|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=1990-12-05|publisher="New York Times"|accessdate=2008-07-25] , and Arista Records dropped the act 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 get a refund. [cite book|last=Dowell|first=Gary|coauthors=Evans, Isaiah |others=Jones, Kim|title=Heritage Music and Entertainment Dallas Signature Auction Catalog #622|editor=Halperin, James L.|publisher=2006|date=Heritage Capital Corporation|pages=34|isbn=1-599-67081-X]

Farian would later attempt a failed comeback for the group without Pilatus and Morvan. Months after the scandal, Pilatus and Morvan appeared in a commercial for CareFree Sugarless Gum. The duo begin to lip sync to an opera record. An announcer asks while they are lip synching, "How long does the taste of CareFree Sugarless Gum last?". The record then begins to skip and then the announcer answers, "Until these guys sing themselves." [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEEDE1331F937A25755C0A967958260|title=Milli Vanilli Appears Again|last=Elliott|first=Stuart|date=1991-06-14|publisher="New York Times"|accessdate=2008-07-25]

In 1993, the duo signed with a new label, Taj, and released an eponymous album featuring their real voices. The album sold only 2,000 copiesand the label went bankrupt shortly thereafter. [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00EED8113AF934A35757C0A96E958260|title= Robert Pilatus, 32, Performer In Disgraced Band Milli Vanilli|last=Strauss|first=Neil|date=1998-04-07|publisher="New York Times"|accessdate=2008-07-25]

Death

In the years following the demise of Milli Vanilli, Pilatus struggled with substance abuse and suicide attempts. After the duo's unsuccessful comeback attempt, they stopped speaking. In 1996, Pilatus served three months jail for assault, vandalism, and attempted robbery and spent six months on drug rehabilitation, before returning to Germany.cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,282696_2,00.html|title=The Sad Truth|last=Chris |first=Willman|publisher=ew.com|pages=2|accessdate=2008-07-25]

On April 2, 1998, Pilatus was found dead of a suspected alcohol and prescription pill overdose in a Frankfurt hotel room.Pilatus' death was ruled accidental. [cite news|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/millivanilli/articles/story/5927796/milli_vanillis_pilatus_dead_at_33|title=Milli Vanilli's Pilatus Dead At 33|date=1998-04-07|publisher=rollingstone.com|accessdate=2008-07-25]

Film and Milli Vanilli Greatest Hits album

On February 14 2007, it was announced that Universal Pictures was developing a film based on the true story of Milli Vanilli's rise and fall in the music industry. Jeff Nathanson, screenwriter from "Catch Me If You Can", will write and direct the film. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117959531.html?categoryid=16&cs=18query=Milli+Vanilli+film Variety.com : Universal sets up Milli Vanilli film] , by Michael Fleming, February 14, 2007.] [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/02/20/girl-you-know-its-true-milli-vanill-biopic-will-reveal-the-truth/ RollingStone.com : Girl, You Know It's True: Milli Vanilli Biopic will reveal the truth (!)] , by Nicole Frehsee, February 20, 2007]

On March 26, 2007, the "Greatest Hits" album was released.

Discography

Milli Vanilli

* "All or Nothing" (1988)
* "All Or Nothing (US Remix Album)" (1989)
* "Girl You Know It's True" (1989)
* "The Remix Album" (1990)
* "Back and in Attack" (1998) Album studio not for sale
* "Greatest Hits" (2006)

Rob & Fab

* "Rob & Fab" (1993)

References

External links

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Persondata
NAME= Pilatus, Rob
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Pilatus, Robert
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Singer, dancer, model
DATE OF BIRTH= June 8, 1965
PLACE OF BIRTH= Munich, Germany
DATE OF DEATH= April 2, 1998
PLACE OF DEATH= Frankfurt, Germany