Bobby Farrell

Roberto Alfonso Farrell was born on 6 October 1949 in Aruba, a Dutch Caribbean island far from the European discos he'd later command. He joined Boney M. in the 1970s as the group's dancer, frontman, and DJ, becoming the visual engine of a act that sold millions with hits like "Daddy Cool" and "Ma Baker." The twist: producer Frank Farian had other vocalists handle most of the male singing, leaving Farrell to lip-sync and electrify stages with pure physical charisma. He stayed with the group through the 1980s, riding the crest of their global success even as the machinery behind it became publi…