Editing Rob Pilatus

{{short description|German singer (1965–1998)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Rob Pilatus
| image            = Milli Vanilli and C. Michael Greene (cropped).jpg
| caption          = Pilatus at the 1990 [[Grammy Awards]] rehearsal
| background       = solo_singer
| birth_date       = 8 June 1964 or 1965
| birth_name       = Robert Pilatus
| birth_place      = [[Munich]], West Germany
| death_date       = {{death date|df=y|1998|4|3}} (aged 32 or 33)
| death_place      = [[Friedrichsdorf]], Germany
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[Dance music|dance]]|[[Contemporary R&B|R&B]]|[[Hip hop music|hip hop]]|[[Funk music|funk]]}}
| years_active     = 1988–1998
| occupation       = {{hlist|Singer|dancer|model|rapper}}
| label            = {{hlist|[[Arista Records|Arista]]|[[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]]|[[Hansa Records|Hansa]]|Taj}}
| associated_acts  = {{hlist|[[Milli Vanilli]]|[[Rob & Fab]]}}
}}

'''Robert Pilatus''' (8 June 1964 or 1965 – 3 April 1998) was a German singer, dancer, and model. He was a member of the pop music duo [[Milli Vanilli]] with [[Fab Morvan]].

==Biography==
===Early life===
Pilatus was born in Munich, West Germany, on 8 June 1964 or 1965.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fischundfleisch.com/nzerr/milli-vanilli-der-groesste-popskandal-und-die-tragoedie-dahinter-42175|title=Milli Vanilli|website=fisch+fleisch|date=20 December 2017 |access-date=20 January 2019}}</ref> Sources differ on the year of his birth, with obituaries variously describing him as 32 or 33 years old at the time of his death in 1998.<ref>{{Cite news |title=ROB PILATUS, 32, DIES |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1998/04/06/rob-pilatus-32-dies/7cbaa8cc-551c-4431-ac12-be956bf650d6/ |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Milli Vanilli's Rob Pilatus dead at 33 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/milli-vanillis-rob-pilatus-dead-at-33-2-243519/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=6 April 1998 }}</ref> His father was an [[African-American]] serviceman and his mother was a [[Germans|German]] dancer.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Collier|first=Aldore|date=July 1990|title=Milli Vanilli: Creating Controversy and Platinum Records|pages=30–34|work=Ebony|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X9QDAAAAMBAJ&dq=reserve+singer+milli+vanilli&pg=PA34|quote=Pilatus was born in New York City, the son of a Black American serviceman and a German dancer.}}</ref> He spent his first four years in a Bavarian orphanage in [[Oberammergau]] before he was adopted by a [[Munich]] family.<ref name="MTV Obit">{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1432182/milli-vanillis-pilatus-dead/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020090834/http://www.mtv.com/news/1432182/milli-vanillis-pilatus-dead/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 October 2014|title=Milli Vanilli's Pilatus Dead|last=Staff|date=6 April 1998|publisher=[[MTV]]|access-date=1 October 2015}}</ref> He stated he was an outsider as a child in Germany, being called "[[Kunta Kinte]]" (the African hero in the film ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]'') by his classmates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/pimp-slaps-thefts-who-knew-this-milli-vanilli-singer-was-this-wild/3/|title=So Sad: This Milli Vanilli Singer Lived A Hard Life After Their Success|date=8 April 2015|website=I Love Old School Music|access-date=20 January 2019}}</ref> After leaving his adoptive home as a teen, Pilatus worked as a model and [[breakdancing|breakdancer]],<ref name="MTV Obit"/> and appeared as a backing singer with the group [[Wind (band)|Wind]] at the [[1987 Eurovision Song Contest]] in Brussels. (The band finished in second place.)  He met Fab Morvan on the dance scene in Munich in 1988, and after working as models, they formed a short lived group "Empire Bizarre" which consisted of three members, Pilatus, Morvan, and Charliene,{{Clarify|reason=Charliene who? I find no mention of such a person|date=September 2022}} who released one single "Dansez" in 1988<ref>{{Citation |title=Empire Bizarre - Dansez |year=1988 |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/317515-Empire-Bizarre-Dansez |language=en |access-date=2023-02-12}}</ref> and was performing locally with all members dancing and Rob singing lead while playing bass guitar.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p40SIT8Cuu4&ab_channel=Becka-Frcite] Rob & Fab before Milli Vanilli | “Dansez” clip + Empire Bizarre interview</ref><ref name=mtv>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1432182/19980406/milli_vanilli.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506062356/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1432182/19980406/milli_vanilli.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 May 2008|title=Milli Vanilli's Pilatus Dead|date=6 April 1998|publisher=MTV|access-date=25 July 2008}}</ref> 

===Milli Vanilli===
Pilatus and Morvan both continued moving into music and were subsequently noticed by German music producer [[Frank Farian]], who signed them to be part of a musical act. They signed contracts with Farian without taking legal advice.<ref>{{Citation|last=djvlad|title=Fab Morvan on the Rise and Fall of Milli Vanilli (Full Interview)|date=29 April 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqmO9VE0PuY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/lqmO9VE0PuY |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=20 January 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> After a trip to [[Turkey]], where the duo reportedly took part of their name from a local advertising slogan, Milli Vanilli was born. Pilatus and Morvan were surprised to learn from Farian that they would not be singing on their records. They initially refused, but were unable to pay back the advance they had received, which they had used to change and promote their images by investing in clothes and their trademark hair extensions. They decided to continue with the agreement for a short time until they had made enough money to pay back the advance. This meant that they were to be only the public faces<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/jul/30/plastic-bertrand-milli-vanilli|title=Behind the Music: Beyond Bertrand lies a history of plastic performances {{!}} Helienne Lindvall|last=Lindvall|first=Helienne|date=30 July 2010|work=The Guardian|access-date=20 January 2019|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> for songs that had been pre-recorded with singers [[Charles Shaw (singer)|Charles Shaw]] and [[Brad Howell (singer)|Brad Howell]], who Farian thought were vocally talented but lacked marketable images.<ref name=guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/15/usa.musicnews|title=Hollywood pays lip service to Milli Vanilli|last=Pilikington|first=Ed|date=7 February 2007|work=The Guardian|access-date=25 July 2008|location=London}}</ref> Farian had a history of acts, such as [[Boney M]], in which most of the actual singers (including Farian himself) were replaced by other performers on stage.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1787544.stm|title=Whatever happened to Boney M?|date=29 January 2002|access-date=20 January 2019}}</ref>

The first Milli Vanilli [[Music recording sales certification|platinum album]], ''[[Girl You Know It's True (album)|Girl You Know It's True]]'', became a worldwide hit. It 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".<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=milli vanilli|chart=all}}|title=Milli Vanilli: Billboard Chart History|magazine=Billboard|access-date=25 July 2008}}</ref> Milli Vanilli won the [[Grammy Award for Best New Artist]] on 21 February 1990.<ref>{{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=10 February 2008|work=Newsday|access-date=25 July 2008}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

Milli Vanilli quickly rose to fame and fortune, making it difficult for Pilatus and Morvan to withdraw from their agreement with Farian. Their attractiveness and appealing dance performances added to their huge on-stage success. After several years, Pilatus and Morvan became the subject of rumours of onstage [[Lip sync|lip-synching]]. [[Charles Shaw (singer)|Charles Shaw]], one of their recordings' actual vocalists, told the media the truth, but retracted his statement when Farian paid him $150,000.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1990/11/30/down-milli-vanilli/|title=Artificial Vanilli|last1=Goodman|first1=Fred|last2=Trakin|first2=Roy|date=30 November 1990|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=25 July 2008|archive-date=13 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213015056/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318744,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

When Pilatus and Morvan pressured Farian to let them sing on their next album, Farian confessed to reporters on 15 November 1990 that the duo had not sung on the recordings. Milli Vanilli's Grammy Award was withdrawn four days later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2D71F3DF936A35751C1A966958260|title=Winner of Grammy Lost By Milli Vanilli: No One|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=5 December 1990|work=The New York Times|access-date=25 July 2008}}</ref> Pilatus and Morvan said in an interview that they did the moral thing by initiating the withdrawal of the Grammy Award themselves.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/grammys/8095478/grammy-curse-milli-vanilli-reflect-best-new-artist|title=A Grammy Curse? Milli Vanilli's Fab Morvan, Others Reflect on Best New Artist Award|magazine=Billboard|date=23 January 2018|access-date=20 January 2019}}</ref> A United States court ruling allowed anyone who had bought the album to receive a refund.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dowell|first=Gary|author2=Evans, Isaiah|others=Jones, Kim|title=Heritage Music and Entertainment Dallas Signature Auction Catalog #622|date=August 2006|editor=Halperin, James L.|publisher=2006|pages=34|isbn=1-59967-081-X}}</ref>

Farian later attempted a comeback for the duo, but it was unsuccessful. Pilatus and Morvan decided to spend time apart to get their lives back on track. Months after the media backlash, they appeared in a commercial for Carefree Sugarless [chewing] Gum, where they jokingly lip-synched to an opera recording.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEEDE1331F937A25755C0A967958260|title=Milli Vanilli Appears Again|last=Elliott|first=Stuart|date=14 June 1991|work=The New York Times |access-date=25 July 2008}}</ref>

In 1992, Pilatus and Morvan signed with a new label, Taj, and released ''[[Rob & Fab]]'', an album featuring their own voices, but it sold only around 2,000 copies due to its limited release.<ref name=guardian /> The label went bankrupt shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00EED8113AF934A35757C0A96E958260|title= Robert Pilatus, 33, Performer in Disgraced Band Milli Vanilli|last=Strauss|first=Neil|date=7 April 1998|work=The New York Times|access-date=25 July 2008}}</ref>

===Later years===
After Milli Vanilli attempted a comeback, Morvan and Pilatus spent time apart. In 1996, Pilatus served three months in prison for assault, [[vandalism]] and attempted robbery. Farian paid for Pilatus to spend six months in [[drug rehabilitation]] before returning to Germany from the United States.<ref name=ew>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1998/04/17/mourning-rob-pilatus/|title=The Sad Truth|last=Chris|first=Willman|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|pages=2|access-date=25 July 2008|archive-date=18 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918074615/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,282696_2,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Death===
On 3 April 1998, on the eve of a promotional tour for a new Milli Vanilli album, ''Back and in Attack'', featuring Pilatus and Morvan on lead vocals, Pilatus was found dead from an alcohol and prescription drug overdose in a hotel room at [[Friedrichsdorf]], near Frankfurt. His death was ruled accidental. The album has never been released.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/millivanilli/articles/story/5927796/milli_vanillis_pilatus_dead_at_33|title=Milli Vanilli's Pilatus Dead at 32|date=7 April 1998|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=25 July 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622144027/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/millivanilli/articles/story/5927796/milli_vanillis_pilatus_dead_at_33|archive-date=22 June 2008}}</ref>

Pilatus is buried in the [[Munich Waldfriedhof]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Wie meine Stimme ohne mich Karriere machte – Beerdigung von Robert Pilatus|url=http://einestages.spiegel.de/static/entry/wie_meine_stimme_ohne_mich_karriere_machte/19425/beerdigung_von_robert_pilatus.html |work=[[Der Spiegel]]|language=de|date=2 September 2008|access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Milli Vanilli===
{{main|Milli Vanilli discography}}

===Rob and Fab===
* ''[[Rob & Fab]]'' (1993)

== Film ==
German-Austrian film director [[Simon Verhoeven]] directed and wrote the 2023 Milli Vanilli [[biopic]] ''[[Girl You Know It's True (film)|Girl You Know It's True]]'', which was filmed in [[Munich]], [[Berlin]], [[Cape Town]], and [[Los Angeles]]. The film was produced by [[Wiedemann & Berg Film Production|Wiedemann & Berg Film]], with [[Leonine Holding|Leonine]] as the theatrical distributor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=2022-08-31 |title=Milli Vanilli Biopic 'Girl You Know It's True' First-Look Photos Revealed By Leonine Studios |url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/leonine-studios-milli-vanilli-girl-you-know-its-true-1235104166/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref> The movie stars Tijan Njie and Elan Ben Ali as Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan as well as [[Matthias Schweighöfer]] as [[Record producer|music producer]] Frank Farian.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Milli Vanilli is the subject of an upcoming biopic — see the 1st pics |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/music/milli-vanilli-subject-biopic-girl-know-true-rcna45947 |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=TODAY.com |date=September 2022 |language=en}}</ref> [[Associate Producer|Associate producers]] are Jasmin Davis, daughter of the late John Davis, and [[Brad Howell]], the true voices behind Milli Vanilli. Carmen Pilatus, sister of the late Rob Pilatus, Milli Vanilli’s former assistant Todd Headlee, and Ingrid Segieth aka Milli, are also attached as associate producers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roxborough |first=Scott |date=2022-09-01 |title=Milli Vanilli Biopic Players Revealed in 'Girl You Know It's True' First Look |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/girl-you-know-its-true-milli-vanilli-biopic-first-look-matthias-schweighofer-1235210126/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

Previous attempts to produce a film about ''Milli Vanilli'' all had failed; on 14 February 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Michael |date=2007-02-15 |title=Universal sets up Milli Vanilli film |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/features/universal-sets-up-milli-vanilli-film-2-1117959531/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Jeff Nathanson]], a screenwriter known for ''[[Catch Me If You Can]]'', was to write and direct the film. Morvan was supposed to serve as a consultant, providing his and Pilatus's point of view. However, the project was never completed. In 2011 German director [[Florian Gallenberger]] declared that he was reviving the project and would be rewriting the script, which also didn't eventually happen. Director [[Brett Ratner]] attempted to make his version of a Milli Vanilli biopic, but the project was eventually cancelled in 2021 after numerous [[Time's Up (organization)|Time's Up]] [[sexual harassment]] allegations against Ratner became public.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gardner |first=Chris |date=2021-02-25 |title=Brett Ratner's Milli Vanilli Biopic Dropped |url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/milli-vanilli-biopic-dropped-9531204/ |access-date=2022-09-20 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Germany|Biography}}
* {{discogs artist}}
* {{IMDb name|1574756}}
* {{Find a Grave|6299187}}

{{milli}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilatus, Rob}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century German male singers]]
[[Category:Alcohol-related deaths in Germany]]
[[Category:German people imprisoned abroad]]
[[Category:German people of African-American descent]]
[[Category:German male dancers]]
[[Category:Milli Vanilli members]]
[[Category:German male models]]
[[Category:German pop singers]]
[[Category:Singers from Munich]]
[[Category:Drug-related deaths in Germany]]
[[Category:German rappers]]
[[Category:Musical hoaxes]]
[[Category:Entertainment scandals]]
[[Category:German expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century German dancers]]
[[Category:German adoptees]]
[[Category:Models from Munich]]
[[Category:Burials at Munich Waldfriedhof]]