Boney M lead singer found dead in Russia

BOBBY Farrell, of the 1970s European chart-topping group Boney M, was found dead in his hotel bed yesterday while on tour in Russia, his agent said. He was 61. He failed to respond to a wake-up call by hotel staff.

Farrell appeared as scheduled in St Petersburg on Wednesday night, but complained of breathing problems before and after his show, said the agent, John Seine.

Farrell, who lived in Amsterdam, was more a dancer and showman than singer when he fronted Boney M in the 1970s and ’80s. The group, based in Germany, broke into the charts with Daddy Cool and Sunny in 1976. Two years later their version of By the Rivers of Babylon sold nearly 2 million records in Britain alone, keeping it No 1 for five weeks.