IF your dad was a pop star with a multi-million selling Christmas single then this time of year should be especially cheery.
But for Zanillya Farrell– daughter of Boney M front man Bobby – the memories are bittersweet whenever she hears Mary’s Boy Child on the radio.
This will be the second Christmas since she lost her beloved father, who was 61 when he was found dead alone in a hotel room in St Petersburg, Russia, on December 30, 2010.
Bobby was the charismatic performer who fronted one of the world’s most successful acts with hit after hit at the height of the 70s disco boom.
He went from poverty to riches, and back again, claiming he was cheated out of a fortune by record producer and Boney M svengali Frank Farian.
Speaking for the first time about her late father, Zanillya, 29, believes Boney M drove him to drugs and booze.
And she called on Farian to take responsibility for his part in Bobby’s fall.
She said: “Fame brings a price with it and it was good and bad for him.
“When I was a child, he was such a funny man and loved his jokes. But towards the end of his life, he was a broken man. He was sick a lot and told me he didn’t want to live.”
Bobby was born on the Caribbean island of Aruba. His first job was as a sailor then he turned his hand to DJ work, moving to
Norway then Holland.
Boney M was the brainchild of German record producer Farian. In 1975, he recruited Bobby plus singers Liz Mitchell, Marcia
Barrett and Maizie Williams.
They went on to sell more than 150million records and reached their peak in 1978 when Rivers of Babylon, Brown Girl in the Ring and Rasputin became global smash hits.
Boney M wrapped up the year with Mary’s Boy Child, which was Christmas No1 in the UK, selling two million copies.
Bobby became rich and started spending money freely.
But the band reputedly had a share of only nine per cent of the royalties. And when the hits began to dry up in the early 1980s, the cash stopped.
Bobby married Zanillya’s mother Yasmin in 1981.
Zanillya said: “Mum started to find out how the business worked and asked about the contracts. When my dad asked
Farian what their contract was, he became very weird, so my dad left the band.”
When Zanillya was born, in 1983, her parents lived in a 30-bedroom mansion in Germany. But they were on borrowed time financially.
Zanillya said: “My father asked Farian for 100,000marks. He was told to sign some papers but he signed away everything – image rights, royalties, the lot.
“Dad lost everything. We had to move in with my grandmother in the Netherlands and live on welfare.
“That’s when dad started getting angry a lot. But mum was very smart and realised that if you own the name, you can use it – and Farian hadn’t registered Boney M all over the world. That’s why dad could perform in certain countries.”
Bobby had to go on the road to make a living, which brought fresh difficulties.
Zanillya recalled: “Dad wasn’t really there for family life and mum said he had multiple relationships on tour.
“They were both very fiery and, on occasions, it got physical. They were violent and it wasn’t easy as a child.
“When I was 12, they split and it was very traumatic. Mum had to go and live in Italy to get away from it and my brother Zanin and I went to live with dad.”
Zanillya looked after the household for 10 years. She said: “I think losing my mother, who was the love of his life, was difficult. He never expected her to leave him. Mum did everything for him and when she left, I took up that role.
“His ex-girlfriend told me that he was always a joker and loved to laugh but never drank or smoked.
“He only started doing alcohol and drugs because of the stress of Boney M.
“He took cocaine although he gave that up later. But I think it gave him personality disorders and mood swings.
She said: “He was a good person and a good father but at some point he lost it, it f****d his mind.
“I didn’t notice when my mother was there to shield us but after living with him, I saw him crumble.
“He would complain that he couldn’t sleep because he had too much on his mind.
“He would take sleeping pills and other pills for his blood. He said, ‘I don’t want to live any more.’”
The funeral brought the three remaining members of Boney M together for the first time in many years as they read out a eulogy at his memorial service in Amsterdam.
Zanillya said: “That was great, he would’ve been so happy. I’ve even heard rumours the women are getting back together.”
Bobby, who sang live with Boney M but whose voice is not on the records, left an estate worth little more than £160,000.
His daughter said: “I wonder if Farian has a conscience but I don’t hate him. Maybe one day he can explain to me how could he let my father feel like that.”
Zanillya is starting out as a hip hop artist and said: “I have big dreams – just like dad.”
Her favourite Boney M song? She smiled and said: “Daddy Cool. They are also the words on his gravestone.”
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