David Harman, better known as Dave Dee, who died on 9 January, 2009, was the lead singer of the 1960s pop group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.

They had international success with the single The Legend of Xanadu in 1968, the pinnacle of a career in which they had another seven UK top 10 hits.

They were one of the most successful acts of the late '60s, spending more time than The Beatles on the UK charts between 1966 and 1969.

David Harman, born on 17 December, 1943, in Salisbury, Wiltshire, formed the group in 1961 with four school friends.

Before his success as a pop star Mr Harman had been a police cadet. It was in that role in April 1960 that he attended the scene of the car crash on the A4 at Chippenham in which the American guitarist Eddie Cochran had been killed.

After deciding that the police was not the career for him, he turned to music.

His band was originally called Dave Dee and the Bostons, but they later changed their name to reflect the nicknames of the band members, guitarists John 'Beaky' Dymond and Ian 'Tich' Amey, bassist Trevor 'Dozy' Ward-Davies and drummer 'Mick' Wilson.

They had their first hit in 1966 with the upbeat Hold Tight! They followed it up with the number two smash Bend It which demonstrated the band's inventiveness with its folksy European sound. The song was banned in the states for its suggestive lyrics.

The band were known not only for their unusual names (their second album was called If Music Be The Food Of Love... Prepare For Indigestion ), but also for oddball stage costumes.

Though they were not among the British invasion bands to make it big in the States, they enjoyed success in Europe and were particularly successful in Australia. Their obsession with the myths of other cultures, as demonstrated in songs like The Legend of Xanadu, Wreck of The Antoinette (1968) and Don Juan (1969), certainly contributed to their overseas appeal.

Dave Dee left the group in 1969 to pursue a solo career. He missed the 1980s reunion but reunited with his former band members in the '90s. In the years after pop stardom he worked as an A&R man for WEA Records and signed the likes of AC/DC, Boney M and Gary Numan. He later returned to working in the law and became a Justice of the Peace in Cheshire.

He died at the age of 66 after a three year battle with cancer. He was separated from his wife Joanne, had a daughter Olivia, twin sons Ashley and Elliot, and was also survived by his partner Lesley.