Former Hot Chocolate Member Tony Wilson Dead at 89

Former Hot Chocolate bassist and vocalist Tony Wilson has died at the age of 89.

As per the BBC, Wilson, who co-wrote classic hit "You Sexy Thing", passed away at his home in Trinidad. No cause of death was given.

“Words don’t do justice to the admiration I have for him as a human being or for his dedication to make his dream of getting the songs he wrote be heard,” Wilson's son, Danny, wrote on Facebook. “It wasn’t until my mum dug out some old diaries of his from 1970 and ’71 that I realised just how hard he had to work to achieve this dream.”

Born in Trinidad, Wilson first came into as parr of groups such as the Flames, the Souvenirs, and the Corduroys.

Hot Chocolate formed in London in the late '60s, first gaining notice with a reggae-tinged cover of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance", which the group even sent to Lennon.

Renowned for a genre-hopping sound that bounced between soul, disco, reggae, and funk, Hot Chocolate had hits with "Love Is Life", "You Sexy Thing", and more.

They became one of the first Black British groups whose songs would become hits in the US.

They released their debut album, Cicero Park, in 1974 and the album’s single, “Emma”, was a No. 8 hit in the US.

Their next album, Hot Chocolate, was an even bigger success thanks to the aforementioned “You Sexy Thing”. The song made it all the way to No. 2 in the UK  and No. 3 in the US, where it was certified gold.

Decades later, the song enjoyed a resurgence thanks to its inclusion on the soundtracks for Boogie Nights and The Full Monty, as well as in a Burger King advert.

Wilson left the group that year and released a solo album, I Like Your Style, in 1976. He released two more albums, Catch One (1979) and Walking the Highwire (1988), but never achieved the level of success he reached with Hot Chocolate.

The songs Wilson co-wrote with Hot Chocolate have been covered by artists such as Sisters of Mercy, Roy Ayers, and April Wine.