Sixties pop star Dave Dee dies

Sixties pop star Dave Dee died today following a three year battle with prostate cancer.

Despite suffering from the disease the singer continued playing gigs with his band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich until as recently as last September, his record plugger Sean Cooney said.

'He didn't let it get him down, he was defying it,' he added.

Dee, 65 - real name David Harman - came from Wiltshire and was originally a police officer before hitting the bigtime in showbusiness.

The band's hits included Hold Tight, Bend It and The Legend of Xanadu.

The Legend of Xanadu, a number one hit in which Dee famously cracked a whip, was a hit in 1968, and stormed into the charts all over the world including the United States.

Other Top 10 UK hits included Hideaway, Save Me, Okay and Zabadak.

A spokeswoman for the family said that Dee died yesterday morning in Kingston Hospital following 'a long and courageous battle' with cancer.

The band's distinctive name came from the nicknames of the five members.

'Dozy' was Trevor Ward-Davies, 64, 'Beaky' was John Dymond, 64, 'Mick' was Michael Wilson, 64, and 'Tich' was Ian Amey, 64. (dailymail.co.uk)