Liz Mitchell is a popular singer who gained her fame thanks to her participation in the legendary band Boney M, in which she has been a permanent soloist since 1975. Today, she continues to tour around the world, annually coming to Russia to participate in the shows "Legends of Retro FM" and "Disco of the 80s".
Liz Mitchell is the only Boney M member who sang herself, without a phonogram, had a musical background and wrote several songs for the group. In the heyday of disco, her name, like the group, was known all over the world. And now, if we are talking about the Boney M group, then, first of all, they recall Liz.
Children's years and the beginning of a creative biography
Liz was born in the small village of Clarendon in Jamaica, in 1952, on July 12. In addition to Liz, there were five more children and parents in the family, hoping to find work and provide their offspring, they moved to England. They settled in the London area, where people from the Caribbean islands lived, which helped the family quickly adapt to a new place.
In England, the girl went to school, where she soon organized her first ensemble The Sensational Chanteleers, gathering friends in it. They performed at school events, numerous holidays, family celebrations and anniversaries of school teachers.
Possessing natural hearing and musicality, she constantly sang something and from early childhood was fond of music and dancing. Already at school, everyone paid attention to Liz's strong and melodic voice, and her mother helped the girl develop her talent.
There wasn’t enough money in the family, it was difficult to make music, so her father insisted that the girl receive an education that could provide her. So Liz began her studies at a technical college, but this did not stop her from continuing to study music and take small steps in her creative career.
She sang along with novice musicians on the streets and in cafes, continued to perform on holidays. During this period, Liz repeatedly tried to conclude a contract with recording studios, but did not succeed. All her offers were rejected, and I had to look for another job. In order to somehow earn a living, the girl gets a job as a secretary in a small office. And at this time, fate prepared for her the first surprise. She gets to listen to the performers for the new musical "Hair" ("Hair"). She was lucky and the producer of the musical, drawing attention to her voice, invites Liz to enter the main staff of the troupe for several months. The musical was staged on the stages of London and Berlin, and the young singer had to make a choice in which city she would begin her performances.
It was almost impossible to become a famous singer in the British capital, so Liz goes to Berlin, where she begins her performances on the stage of the theater. The musical lasted almost a year and after its closure, she decides to stay in Berlin, where she is hosted by the popular and well-known in Germany international ensemble Les Humphries Singers. Their songs at that time were very popular, the band even staged the rock opera "Jesus Christ SuperStar" on stage.
For several years, Liz successfully performs with the group, but by the mid-70s their popularity began to decline, and scandals erupted in the team. The singer, along with her friend Malcolm, with whom she began an affair, decides to leave the ensemble and organize her group. The attempt was unsuccessful. Perhaps this happened because the musicians sang their songs in the reggae style, which at that time was completely not popular in Europe.
Disappointed in his attempts to become a famous singer, Liz decides to return to her parents in London to continue her education and again begin to study in college.
She also did not have a personal relationship, the affair with Malcolm ended, and she returned home in a completely broken state.
Liz Mitchell and Boney M
In early 1975, Liz's friend, Marcia Barrett, called her and offered to come for an audition. Marcia at that time was already part of a new group called Boney M, which was organized by the famous producer Frank Farian. One of the selected soloists refused to perform and she was urgently looking for a replacement for the next concert. Liz was at the right time in the right place. She was accepted and Liz Mitchell became the lead singer of the group for many years.
Boney M was a unique project by Frank Farian. He gathered four performers into a group, among which only Liz Mitchell possessed a professional voice. The other two girls had nothing to do with singing. One was a model, and the second a dancer, and the only man - Bobby Farrell - was a DJ and dancer in one of the clubs, where the producer found him. Frank himself sang Bobby's voice, while he never went on stage.
All Boney M songs were recorded and processed in advance. On the stage, a colorful show was shown to the soundtrack. In those years, such projects did not exist, and we can say that Frank Farian created something completely new on the stage.
Boney M became the most sought-after disco group of the 70-80s. Later the composition changed, but Liz Mitchell remained in the group all the years of its existence.
Boney M toured around the world and even came to the USSR in 1978 with the permission of L. I. Brezhnev himself. The only song that was not recommended to be performed at concerts in Russia was "Rasputin", although it is one of the most beloved and popular in our country to this day.
Boney M has released over a hundred million discs. The group entered the Guinness Book of Records and became the most famous, popular group performing disco. It was thanks to her participation in this team that Liz Mitchell became known throughout the world and was able to realize her dream - to become a singer and a star.
A few years later, Frank Farian said that he dismissed the group and was not going to engage in its further production. Bob tried to sue the rights to the collective and its name, but he failed to do so. Even numerous trials did not help. And in 1989, the former producer himself transfers the rights to concert activity and the name of the group Liz Mitchell. Until today, only she has the right to go on stage under the name Boney M.
After the dissolution of the group, Liz begins a solo career. She releases several of her discs and forms her own recording studio - Dove House Records.
