Errol Brown was the lead singer and co-founder of the 1970s funk band Hot Chocolate. The group’s biggest hits were “You Sexy Thing” and "Brother Louie," which serves as the theme song for the FX series Louie.
The group’s biggest hit, “You Sexy Thing,” which Brown wrote, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. The song has been featured in the films Dumb & Dumber, Heavy Weights, The Full Monty, Boogie Nights, Legally Blonde, About Schmidt and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Additionally, the hit was featured on the television series That '70s Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Ally McBeal, The Simpsons, Cold Case, Two and a Half Men, The Office and The Sopranos.
Hot Chocolate formed in the U.K., where Brown had moved at the age of 12 from Jamaica. In 1969 the group demoed a reggae version of John Lennon’s "Give Peace a Chance," and sent the track to the Beatles’ record label, Apple, for lyric-change approval. Lennon loved the cover and it was released on the Apple label. The band’s name (originally The Hot Chocolate Band) was conceived by a secretary at the label.
In 1999 Brown worked on the concert special One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star Tribute. His work as a re-recording mixer garnered him an Emmy Award nomination.
Brown died May 6, 2015, in the Bahamas. He was 71.