FORMER Hot Chocolate front-man Errol Brown says he owes his own career breakthrough to John Lennon.
"Many people have helped us break the barriers but John was instrumental," he says.
"His support was fabulous. We recorded our version of his song Give Peace a Chance - not thinking he would ever get to hear it.
"My fellow songwriter Tony Wilson asked Apple for permission to change the lyrics a bit. We never thought for one minute that our reggae version would reach him.
"But he did hear it and he loved it and that was then released on their new Apple label in 1969 and after that things really took off."
They certainly did for his band Hot Chocolate, named by the Apple Press girl Mavis Smith, which Errol fronted for so many years before embarking on a successful solo career.
Hot Chocolate were also on the bill for John's Plastic Ono Band at the London's Lyceum in December of the same year.
The band were regulars on Top of The Pops and, thanks to their producer the late Mickie Most, they were seldom out of the charts.
Says 56-year-old Errol: "As the writer I liked people who knew a hit when they heard it and Mickie was like that. I miss him."
"These days it's not the same in the music industry with such inspirational figures."
He says his own favourite is the perennial juke box classic - It Started With a Kiss. The pop songs has been re released in the past for Valentine's Day and is often played at wedding night receptions.
