Musician from Boney M advocates for a government-backed retirement plan for entertainers
Liz Mitchell: A Musical Legend Navigating Success and Advocacy
Liz Mitchell, the original lead singer of Boney M, a band that has sold over 100 million records, continues to prioritize her passion for performing despite the financial challenges she faced during the group's peak years in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
During this period, Boney M experienced financial and managerial difficulties, particularly related to income distribution and contract negotiations. According to Mitchell, the band's lead vocalist, the members were under heavy work schedules and had no effective management to look after their business interests. The artists were vulnerable and lacked business-minded support, which led to them continuing to work under the same contract terms without renegotiation despite their growing success.
Mitchell mentioned that the management exploited the group and did not arrange new contracts or adequately care for the band members during their rising fame and after recording consecutive hit albums, including "Daddy Cool" and "Sunny." This suggests that Boney M members did not benefit equitably or optimally from the financial earnings during their peak, as they had little control or representation regarding their income distribution or contract terms.
Despite these challenges, Mitchell has managed to build a comfortable life for herself. She owns a detached family home in Caversham, Reading, which she bought more than 30 years ago for about £400,000. She lives in Caversham, Berkshire, with her husband and manager Thomas Pemberton.
Mitchell, who is 73, is also a philanthropist. She supports her Let It Be charitable foundation with her wealth. The music business makes billions of pounds in revenue for the UK, and Mitchell believes it should be easier for musicians to pay into a government-guaranteed pension plan.
Mitchell's career began humbly. At the start of her singing career, she was paid around £10 a week in the German production of the musical Hair. Today, she has performed at high-profile events, most recently at a private party thrown by a wealthy London family.
Born in Jamaica, Mitchell grew up with her Jamaican farmer grandparents until she was 11. Her parents, Norman and an unnamed individual, moved to England after she was born and worked as a labourer and an engineer respectively. They bought their own house for £2,000 and opened the first store in Harlesden selling Jamaican foods.
Mitchell's childhood home in Harlesden, north-west London, now has a blue plaque outside, a testament to her significant contribution to music. In 2021, she was appointed MBE in the King's last birthday honours for services to music and charity.
Mitchell is a born-again Christian and values family, friends, and community above material wealth. She believes that some state school-educated black children were unfairly written off as educationally backward in the 1980s. Despite her success, she remains grounded, living a life that reflects her values and priorities.
Boney M's chart-topping hits include "Rivers of Babylon," "Rasputin," and "Daddy Cool." These timeless songs continue to resonate with audiences worldwide, a testament to Mitchell's enduring talent and the impact of Boney M on the music industry.
- Despite the financial struggles during her time with Boney M, particularly the unequal distribution of income and lack of business-savvy management, Liz Mitchell has managed to amass enough wealth to buy a property and support her Let It Be charitable foundation.
- Beyond her success in the entertainment industry, particularly in music, and owning a detached family home, Liz Mitchell advocates for a simpler and more equitable pension system for musicians in the UK, believing that the music business should facilitate an easy contribution method for government-guaranteed pension plans.
