Hot Chocolate singer Errol Brown dies at 71

Singer Errol Brown has died in the Bahamas at the age of 71. (ErrolBrown.com)

LONDON -- Errol Brown, the lead singer of the band Hot Chocolate, has died in the Bahamas, his manager said Wednesday. He was 71.

Manager Phil Dale said the singer, best known for hits "You Sexy Thing" and "It Started With A Kiss," died earlier Wednesday of liver cancer. Dale said Brown's death had come as a surprise.

"(Brown) had been poorly over the past few months but he never discussed it," Dale said. "He'd be sadly missed by his friends and family. He was an extremely good personal friend."

Brown moved to Britain from Jamaica with his mother at age 12. In 2003, he was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to pop music and made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

Hot Chocolate released their first record "Love is Life" in 1970, and enjoyed numerous chart hits in the 1970s. In 1981, they played at a pre-wedding party for Prince Charles and Lady Diana in Buckingham Palace.

Brown is survived by his wife, Ginette, and two daughters.