Errol Brown, ‘You Sexy Thing’ Singer, Dead at 71

Errol Brown, lead singer for British soul band Hot Chocolate, has died at 71. Billboard reports that on Wednesday, May 6, his manager Phil Dale confirmed that Brown had liver cancer, saying he passed away at his home in the Bahamas.

Dale said of the soul singer, “Errol was a gentleman and a personal friend of mine who will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him," He continued, "His greatest legacy is that his music will live on!"

Hot Chocolate’s indisputable biggest hit was “You Sexy Thing,” which was co-written by Brown. The classic has appeared in countless TV shows and commercials, as well as movies such as Boogie Nights and the Academy Award-winning The Full Monty. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.

The band also saw some chart success, both in the UK and stateside, with the songs “Every 1’s a Winner” and “So You Win Again”.  The group even performed at a Buckingham Palace pre-wedding party for Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981, according to CBS.

Born in Jamaica but raised in the UK, Brown was given an Ivor Novello Award for contributions to British music in 2004. He is survived by his wife Ginette and his two daughters.

Listen to our personal favorite Hot Chocolate song, “You Could’ve Been a Lady,” below.

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