Entertainment Music Frank Farian, Founder of Boney M. and Milli Vanilli, Dead at 82 The German singer, songwriter and producer was behind hits such as "Daddy Cool" and "Rasputin" By Kirsty Hatcher Kirsty Hatcher Kirsty Hatcher is an Associate Editor on the People.com Morning Team. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023. Her work previously appeared on ok.co.uk, in OK! Magazine and Reach PLC magazines. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 23, 2024 12:04PM EST Frank Farian. Photo: Peter Bischoff/Getty Frank Farian, the founder of Boney M. and Milli Vanilli, has died. He was 82. The German singer, songwriter and producer’s family released a statement on Tuesday which was shared with PEOPLE confirming that he had died "peacefully" at his home in Miami, Florida. Born Franz Reuther in Kirn, western Germany in 1941, Farian began his career in the music industry as a solo artist while also training to be a chef. Per The Guardian, Farian released a Schlager version of the country song "Rocky" in 1976, before going on to found Boney M. that same year. The disco group, whose original line-up featured Marcia Barrett, Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell, had several hit singles, including “Daddy Cool,” “Rasputin,” and “Mary's Boy Child.” Frank Farian with Marcia Barrett from Boney M. Peter Bischoff/Getty Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Died in 2023 Farian also founded R&B pop duo Milli Vanilli in the 1980s, best known for their songs “Blame It On The Rain” and “Girl You Know It’s True," per the BBC. The late star, who also worked with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Meat Loaf, is reported to have sold 800 million records worldwide, according to the BBC. In 2022, Farian revealed to German newspaper Bild that he had undergone heart valve replacement surgery and a "pig heart valve" had been inserted into his chest because his own valve had shrunk with age. He told the publication that the surgery saved his life. Frank Farian with Milli Vanilli. Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He also told Bild in Nov. 2023, "My heart valve works wonderfully. Mick Jagger also received exactly the same heart valve. I have a good pig in me! And I’m very grateful for that." However, per U.K. newspaper The Evening Standard, Farian's condition had deteriorated following the procedure — he had lost a lot of weight and was left needing to use a wheelchair. Meanwhile, Farian's former partner Ingrid “Milli” Segieth, 69, told Bild that she had visited Farian in Miami over the New Year. "Frank was physically very weak, but was still full of energy," she said. "He was still sitting in the recording studio all day, working on new music.”