SHE'S STILL GOT IT

Maizie Williams, the energetic frontwoman of Boney M, on 50 years of filling dancefloors

-  LAURA BENJAMIN

Half a century ago, a unique disco group burst onto the music scene with a string of unforgettable hits. With such catchy songs as Rasputin, Daddy Cool and Rivers of Babylon, Boney M quickly became an iconic band of the Seventies.

Founding member and energetic frontwoman Maizie Williams is still performing with the group, whose original stars included Bobby Farrell, Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett. Since their 1976 debut album Take the Heat off Me, Boney M has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, and their disco legacy continues.

Maizie, now 74, has not stopped commanding attention on stage and is still touring the world as Boney M celebrates its landmark golden anniversary.

The singer, who lives in Buckinghamshire, was born on the Caribbean island of Montserrat before coming to the UK in the Sixties.

Here, she tells HELLO! about her famous fans, the secrets of the group's success and how she remains dynamic in her eighth decade.

Tell us about the concerts you have coming up...

“It’s the 50th anniversary of Boney M and we're doing a major world tour to celebrate. We've performed in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India and now we're in the UK.

“It’s really to please the fans so they can see we're still alive and working. We’ve never really stopped touring; we took a break in the 1980s for about three years and then started again.”