'Boney M' star Bobby Farrell is dead

Bobby Farrell, the lead singer of Boney M, a European chart-topping group in the 1970s, has died while on tour in Russia at age 61. Farrell was found dead in his hotel room in St Petersburg.

The agent for Bobby Farrell says the lead singer of Boney M, a European chart-topping group in the 1970s, has died while on tour in Russia at age 61.

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John Seine says Farrell was found dead in his hotel room in St. Petersburg on Thursday morning by hotel staff after he failed to respond to a wake-up call.

Seine said Farrell performed as scheduled on Wednesday night, but complained of breathing problems before and after his show.

He was leading a group called Bobby Farrell and Boney M, with three women backup singers.

The original Boney M, which was based in Germany, disbanded in 1986 after scoring Europe-wide hits with Daddy Cool and By the Rivers Of Babylon.

Farrell was born Alfonso Farrell in Aruba and lived in Amsterdam.