1990: A RETROSPECTIVE : VOICES

Voice theft. Song theft. Voice fraud. The cops should have had a voice squad instead of a vice squad in 1990.

Silly Story Of The Year award goes to the pop group Milli Vanilli, focus of an international scandal after it was revealed that “singers” Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan had not sung a note on their 7-million-selling debut album “Girl You Know It’s True.” The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences revoked the group’s 1989 Grammy for best new artist, the first such action in the 33-year history of the award.

Gravel-voiced recording artist Tom Waits, who does not do commercials, decided to make a federal case out of a Doritos corn chips ad that featured a Waits impersonator. A Los Angeles federal court jury sided with Waits--to the tune of a $2.4-million damage judgment against Frito-Lay, Inc. and its advertising agency. “Now I have a fence around my larynxization,” Waits declared following the verdict.

Pop star Stevie Wonder was also in Los Angeles federal court, defending himself on charges that he plagiarized the award-winning song, “I Just Called To Say I Love You.” The jury sided with Wonder, who had been sued for $25 million. “As much as I appreciated the Oscar, the Grammy,” Wonder said, “none of this stuff means anything to me. It is far more important to have dignity . . . “