Milli Vanilli
This soul duo consisted of Rob Pilatus, who was brought up in an orphanage, and Fabrice Morvan, who was training to be a trampoline athlete until a fall damaged his neck. Based in Germany, they worked as backing singers for various German groups, before forming their own duo combining rap and soul, taking their name from a New York club. They enjoyed big hits with Girl, You Know It's True and the similar Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You before they suffered a major backlash when they were exposed as front-men for a ‘group’ fabricated by producer Frank Farren. The duo had apparently been chosen for their looks and were effectively locked out of the studio when recording took place. After handing back music industry awards, they promised to return with a new contract and their own voices.