'You Sexy Thing' singer Errol Brown dies at 71

Los Angeles: Errol Brown, former lead singer of British soul band Hot Chocolate, has died after battling liver cancer. He was 71.

Brown died on May 6, his manager Phil Dale confirmed, reported Aceshowbiz. "Errol Brown MBE passed away in The Bahamas this morning with his wife Ginette and daughters Colette and Leonie by his side of liver cancer," Dale said in a statement released on May 6.

"Errol was a lover of life and obviously 'music!'. I never went into his home, car or a hotel room without music playing. And it always played constantly in his dressing room before a concert," Dale said.

Following the statement, some fellow artists pad tribute to the "You Sexy Thing" singer on Twitter. Beverley Knight tweeted, "This popped up as breaking news... I am so gutted. Errol Brown was such a charismatic performer."

Born in Jamaica, Brown moved to the UK in 1960 with his mother. He began his career as a musician when Hot Chocolate covered legendary singer John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" and sent a copy to Lennon's record label, Apple, for approval.

He then made a big success with his band in the mid-1970s with hit singles, "You Sexy Thing" and "Every 1's a Winner." To recognise his services to popular music, Queen Elizabeth II made Brown an MBE (Member of British Empire).

"His greatest legacy is that his music will live on!" his manager said.