Boney M's Bobby Farrell dies aged 61

The lead singer of 70s disco legends Boney M has been found dead in a Russian hotel room.

The body of 61-year-old Bobby Farrell was discovered by staff at a hotel in St Petersburg after he failed to answer a wake-up call.

He had performed in the city the previous night with three women backing singers as part of a re-formed Boney M comeback tour.

His agent John Seine told Dutch media that Farrell had complained of breathing problems before and after the show, but that the cause of death had still not yet been confirmed.

The original Boney M, which was based in Germany, disbanded in 1986 after chart-topping hits throughout the 70s and 80s, including Daddy Cool and By the Rivers Of Babylon.

After the group disbanded, Farian revealed that Farrell had made almost no vocal contributions to the group's records, with Farian himself performing male vocals in the studio.

But Farrell regularly performed live, and became notorious for his skimpy outfits and suggestive dancing.

He moved to Amsterdam in the late 1980s, where he lived until his death.