Fabrice Morvan might have a bone to pick with F. Scott Fitzgerald about that whole there are “no second acts in American lives” thing. Because the once-disgraced pop singer, who along with late partner Rob Pilatus was half of the face of 1990s dance pop duo Milli Vanilli, has just pulled off one of the most improbable second acts in music history.
Thirty-five years after being the first and so far, only, act to have a Grammy award revoked after it was revealed that the perfectly coiffed, fancy dancing duo did not sing a note on their best new artist-nominated debut 1988 album, Morvan recently landed his second Grammy nod for best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording for the audiobook of his memoir, You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.
“To this day ain’t nobody in the history of music has gone through what I went through,” said Morvan, 59, who went from being a multi-platinum, arena-filling superstar with three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart to a late night punchline within two years when it was revealed that he and Pilatus were merely the images, but not the voices, on their LP. “Thirty-five years later you’re looking at a dude who got a Grammy nomination with his own voice! I found my own voice because of me being able to find the strength to tell my story. Wow. You can’t write that story!”
But, Morvan did and now he is up against some serious heavy-hitters in his category when the 68th annual Grammy Awards are handed out on Feb. 1. Among those he’ll be vying with for a Grammy are Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (Lovely One), comedian and former Daily Show host Trevor Noah (Into the Uncut Grass) and the Dalai Lama (Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama).
Billboard caught up with Morvan to talk about the shock nomination, what his plans are for Grammy night and why the book (and the potential feel-good Grammy redemption arc) is the start of what he hopes will be a robust second (or third) act. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity).
Even though Milli Vanilli’s music has remained popular, it’s been a lifetime since most people heard your name. Why did you write the memoir now?
People were enlightened about what really took place and the documentary [the 2023 doc Milli Vanilli, which this writer appeared in] was instrumental in rewriting the narrative… I looked at my kids and thought it would be nice to leave something for them so they could understand each and every chapter, a gift to them. The documentary was done, the book was done, but I still felt I had so much truth I haven’t spoken and I don’t want to throw nobody under the bus, but it was very personal. [It was about] my childhood and how I grew up, so people can understand the choices I made. As humans, everyone goes through trauma, especially Rob, who got into the music industry because he had no love at home and he got addicted to that love, which is the core of the story. [Pilatus, 32, died in 1998 of a suspected drug overdose.]
What’s it feel like to be Grammy-nominated again?
[Laughs.] It was never in our minds back then, “ay man, let’s get that Grammy!” That was never something we wanted. We knew the criteria for a Grammy was you have to 100-plus percent perform. When we sat in the front row, we were like, “lord, lord, lord, no!” I knew how awards ran and when they sit you there and you have that camera view and your name is about to be read… we never wanted that… To this day ain’t nobody in the history of music who has gone through what I have gone through.
Thirty-five years later you’re looking at a dude that got a Grammy nomination with his own voice! I found my voice and because of me being able to find the strength to tell my story. Wow. You can’t write that story! It’s a true story about storytelling and redemption and trauma and I haven’t given up. Stories are here to have us look at our humanity and because of that it brings us closer together and music does the same thing.
Are you shocked that Grammys gave you another chance after the scandal the first time?
It’s about storytelling and I’m one-hundred percent sure my peers, the voters that nominated me, all had a story — they all fell, they were all used by someone, a person who took advantage of them. If you look at the story you have black and white, but in between are shades of gray that people can understand. People who’ve gone through what I went through can identify the shades of gray. The physical, mental, financially being taken advantage of — some people have all three — back then we were voiceless, but now with social media you hear more stories and are like, “Damn! What happened to that person?”
What did you think when you found out?
It had the total opposite effect. I never go towards hype. I run away as far as I can until I can feel calm. Like someone very famous said, “I sizzle,” then I meditate on it and figure out what does that look like? What does it really mean? It means I touched a nerve at the core of the people exposed to the story, whether they read the book or not, and my peers, because I am not the first, or last one, to have been used and taken advantage of in the industry. But I became the poster boy, 100%.
You competition is pretty fierce: a Supreme Court justice, the Dalai Lama, Trevor Noah… what are your odds?
I don’t look at the list. I told my story and was as vulnerable as possible. Understood early on, either I tell it all or why do this if I’m not going all the way? I was as vulnerable as possible and it touched a nerve about storytelling. I look at winning as when I meet someone in the streets and they say they read the book and it changed my life, that’s cool… Who would have thought?
Will you attend the Grammys and how do you think it will feel three decades later?
Oh man, of course. You know I’m gonna be there, I’ll look good too! Whatever happens out of the wreckage of Milli Vanilli I took whatever I could to reverse-engineer the DNA of what it was… I did the right thing, I listened to myself and kept going even through blind faith. You look at the company you’re in and for me it’s about inspiring the people who’ve been knocked down or misunderstood or judged, this is for you. It’s also in the name of Rob as well, for my family, for people who sometimes have no way out of that vicious circle you’re locked in because of life.
Do any feelings of shame or regret come with being in the Grammy spotlight again? Does it bring up difficult emotions?
No, because I’ve forgiven and forgiveness is such a magical tool. I advise anyone to forgive the ones who’ve hurted you, who’s abused you, who’ve taken advantage or you or otherwise you’ll keep going in vicious circles. When I was able to forgive them, forgive myself for letting it happen… I was able to forgive myself and I was able to walk out.
So maybe you won’t be in the front row this time, but what happens if your name is called?
[Big breath.] I don’t even know if that part is televised. But you know what I’m gonna do? When a situation gets very overwhelming I slow down everything and tune out everything around me. I would take that walk and thank the most important people in my life, my family, Rob and then it’s about the ones who’ve been misunderstood, underrated and underestimated. In the end, one thing I understood is it’s not about me, it’s about inspiring others. We’re nothing but a grain of sand… Just the fact that I’m nominated, in my heart I definitely won already. Just to be in the company of those people?! It’s never too late.
When we spoke a few years ago you promised this was not the last chapter for you. What is next?
I knew there would be more eyes on me this year, so right now I have out the single “Future Love” with Ray Slijngaard [2 Unlimited] and “Clothes Off” [a cover of Jermaine Stewart’s 1986 hit single “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off”] and I’m working on an Afrobeat record with James [BKS, the son of late Cameroonian sax giant Manu Dibango] due out in January called, if you can believe it, “Milli Vanity.” I’m also sitting on a couple of albums of material and something else might come out after the “Vanity” record. I’ve also released a reggaeton version of “Girl You Know It’s True” and an acoustic “Blame it on the Rain.” Also, I’m working on a deal with a company in New York to do 30-50 shows next year.
