Sixties pop star Dave Dee has died after a three year battle with cancer, a business associate said.

The singer continued playing gigs with his band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich until near the end, said his record plugger Sean Cooney. "He didn't let it get him down, he was defying it," he added.

Dave Dee, 65 - real name David Harman - came from Wiltshire and was originally a police officer. The band's hits included Hold Tight, Bend It and The Legend of Xanadu. In The Legend of Xanadu, a number one hit, Dee famously cracked a whip.

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

The band's distinctive name came from the nicknames of the five friends from Wiltshire. With some well-produced and catchy songs by Howard and Blaikley, they caught the public's imagination. Between 1965 and 1969 they spent more weeks in the UK singles charts than any other band.

The Legend Of Xanadu 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.

Dee, while a police cadet, was at the scene of the car accident that took the life of American rock star Eddie Cochran and injured Gene Vincent in April 1960. Dee reportedly took Cochran's guitar from the accident in Chippenham, Wiltshire, and held it until it could be returned to his family.

In September 1969, he left the group for a short-lived solo career, after which he became head of A&R for WEA Records, signing many new bands to the label, including AC/DC, Boney M, and Gary Numan.

In the 1970s he was a founder committee member of the charity Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, the largest charitable provider of music therapy in the UK. For more than 30 years, he was actively involved in fund raising and increasing the profile of the charity, including the establishment of a division based in Manchester where he lived for 10 years.

He returned to performing in the 1980s, touring Europe with a successful solo act which included many of the band's hits. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich reformed in the 1990s with Dee as lead vocalist once again. He performed his last gig in Eisenburg, Germany on September 20 last year.

Oh wow!! Way back in the 60s when I was about 7 or 8 years old, Dave Dee was my very first heart-throb!!!! In fact one of the groups first LPs was my VERY first ever record that my parents let me buy at such a tender young age!!!!! I remember playing it 2 death on my very first record player which u had 2 turn on at least 15 minutes beforehand cos u had 2 let it warm up first!!!!! That record contained all their Greatest Hits!!!! I even distinctly remember seeing Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich on Top Of The Pops performing The Legend Of Xanadu and seeing Dave Dee crack his whip!! It had a profound effect on me at that age!!!!