Liz Mitchell is a popular singer who gained her fame thanks to her participation in the legendary group Boney M, in which she has been a permanent soloist since 1975. Today she continues touring around the world, coming to Russia every year to take part in the "Retro FM Legends" and "80s Disco" shows.
Liz Mitchell is the only member of Boney M who sang herself, without a phonogram, had a musical education and wrote several songs for the group. During 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 remember Liz.
Childhood 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, the family had five more children and the parents, hoping to find a job and provide for their offspring, moved to England. They settled in the Caribbean area of London, which helped the family quickly adapt to the new place.
In England, the girl went to school, where she soon organized her first ensemble, The Sensational Chanteleers, gathering her friends. They have performed at school events, numerous celebrations, family gatherings and school teachers' anniversaries.
Possessing a natural ear 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.
The family did not have enough money, it was difficult to make money with music, so the 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 make music and taking small steps in her creative career.
She sang along with novice musicians on the streets and in cafes, and continued to perform at holidays. During this period, Liz repeatedly tried to sign a contract with recording studios, but she did not achieve success. All her offers were rejected, and she 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 her first surprise. She gets to audition for the new musical "Hair". She was lucky and the producer of the musical, drawing attention to her voice, invites Liz to join the main cast 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 start 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 existed for almost a year and after its closure, she decides to stay in Berlin, where she is hosted by the popular and well-known international ensemble Les Humphries Singers in Germany. Their songs were in great demand at that time, the team even staged a rock opera "Jesus Christ SuperStar" on the stage.
For several years, Liz has been successfully performing 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 own group. The attempt was unsuccessful. Perhaps this happened because the musicians sang their songs in the reggae style, which at that time was completely unpopular in Europe.
Disappointed in her attempts to become a famous singer, Liz decides to return to her parents in London to continue her education and start college again.
Her personal relationship also did not work out, 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 audition. Marcia at that time had already joined a new group called Boney M, which was organized by the famous producer Frank Farian. One of the selected soloists refused to perform and were urgently looking for a replacement for the next concert. Liz was in the right place at the right time. She was accepted and Liz Mitchell became the lead singer of the group for many years.
Boney M was Frank Farian's unique project. He brought together four performers, among whom only Liz Mitchell had a professional voice. The other two girls had nothing to do with singing. One was a model, and the other was 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 in Bobby's voice, while he never went on stage.
All Boney M compositions 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 band of the 70s and 80s. Later the line-up changed, but Liz Mitchell remained in the group all the years of its existence.
Boney M toured all over the world and even came to the USSR in 1978 with the permission of Leonid Brezhnev himself. The only song that was not recommended to be performed at concerts in Russia was "Rasputin", although it is she who 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 disco group. It was thanks to her participation in this group that Liz Mitchell became known all over the world and was able to realize her dream - to become a singer and a star.
A few years later, Frank Farian announced that he was disbanding the group and was not going to continue producing it. Bob tried to sue the rights to the collective and its name, but he failed to do so. Even numerous lawsuits did not help. And in 1989, the former producer himself transfers the rights to concert activities 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.
Personal life
Liz's husband is Thomas Pemberton, an American actor. They met and got married in 1979. The couple is happily married and have three wonderful children: Aaron, Twain and Adera.
Liz tries to be with her family more often and is very worried if she has to leave her loved ones for a long time. The family lives in England, where they have their own home. Liz often visits Russia, where she has many fans.
