The band's success continued for 15 years, but front man Brown was never out of the limelight.
Errol was Tuesday's Breakfast special guest
Early days
In 1969 Errol Brown was experimenting with the John Lennon track 'Give Peace a Chance' - but changes to the lyrics had to be approved by Lennon himself.
When he heard the track, he was so impressed that Lennon released it on his Apple label.
By the end of 1969, Errol and Hot Chocolate's co-founder had been snapped up by Micki Most and within a year, they released their first single 'Love is Life' which reached number six in the UK charts.
A phenomenal 30 thirty hit singles followed - who could forget the likes of 'You Sexy Thing', 'Everyone's a Winner' and 'It Started With a Kiss'?
Popularity
 Errol with Hot Chocolate on Top of the Pops in 1980 |
Such has been the appeal of Brown's work with Hot Chocolate, that 'You Sexy Thing' has been repeatedly used in films as recently as About Schmidt in 2002, Rat Race in 2001 and the 1997 smash hit The Full Monty.
He's also made appearances in television programmes and films and several appearances on the BBC's Top of the Pops programme.
In 1985 Errol left the band and took time out to spend more time with his wife and then young children, resurfacing in 1990 and 1993 to embark on successful solo tours of the UK.
The Full Monty introduced a whole new generation to 'Sexy Thing', and Hot Chocolate seized the moment to release a compilation album in October 1997.
It made the UK album top ten and sparked a 58 date tour alongside the re-release of 'It Started With a Kiss' and now hugely in demand, he appeared in a television ad campaign.
His commitment to the music industry was rewarded in 2003 when he was honoured with an MBE.
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