Thursday 30 December 2010

BBC News - Boney M singer Bobby Farrell dies aged 61

30 December 2010 Last updated at 12:34

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Boney M singer Bobby Farrell dies aged 61

Boney M in 1978 Farrell (second left) was the only male member of the popular disco quartet

Bobby Farrell, lead singer of the 1970s disco group Boney M, has died at the age of 61, his agent has announced.

The singer was found dead in a hotel room in St Petersburg, Russia where he had been performing, John Seine said.

Farrell, he continued, had complained of breathing problems before and after the show on Wednesday. The cause of his death has yet to be established.

Farrell, the only male member of the popular four-piece, had been due to perform in Italy on New Year's Eve.

Born Alfonso Farrell in Aruba, he had been touring with three female backing singers under the name Bobby Farrell of Boney M.

The original Boney M, known for such hits as Daddy Cool and Rivers of Babylon, disbanded in 1986.