Errol Brown, lead singer of Hot Chocolate, dies
Brown's band had such hits as 'You Sexy Thing,' 'Every 1's a Winner,' and 'Emma.' Brown was made MBE (Member of the British Empire) in 2003 for his services to popular music.
Errol Brown, frontman of the band Hot Chocolate, performs in 1999.
Sean Dempsey/PA
Hot Chocolate聽lead singer Errol Brown has died at the age of 71, his manager said.
Hot Chocolate聽was known for hits such as "Emma," "Every 1's a Winner," and "You Sexy Thing."
The singer passed away at his home in聽The Bahamas, with his wife聽Ginette聽and daughters聽Colette聽and聽Leonie聽by his side, manager聽Phil Dale聽said, describing him as a "gentle man."
"Errol was a lover of life and obviously 'music!' I never went into his home, car or a hotel room without music playing," Dale said in a . "And it always played constantly in his dressing room before a concert."
鈥淓verybody uses the word gentleman but he really was a gentleman,鈥� Dale also said. 鈥淗e was a very personal friend of mine and he will be missed. I haven鈥檛 been anywhere in the world where I haven鈥檛 heard his music.鈥�
According to the , singer Beverley Knight said of Brown鈥檚 death, 鈥淚 am so gutted. Errol Brown was such a charismatic performer.鈥�
Brown grew up in Jamaica and then attended a private school in Britain, according to聽.
鈥淚 was with boys who wanted to be doctors, lawyers,鈥� he said of his time at the school. 鈥淲here I was before, they wanted to be postmen, bus drivers. Your ambitions changed.鈥�
Brown was made MBE (Member of the British Empire) by Britain's Queen聽Elizabeth聽in 2003 for his services to popular music. A year later, he received an Ivor Novello award for outstanding contribution to British music.
"You Sexy Thing" was first released in the 1970s and featured in the 1997 British film "The Full Monty." According to the Telegraph, the song appeared in the top 10 three times and the band鈥檚 hit 鈥淪o You Win Again鈥� was the only track by the group to be a number one hit in the UK.