- Music
- 02 Oct 24
The UK pop four-piece were triumphant at the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest in The Netherlands
Martin Lee, member of 1976 Eurovision-winning group Brotherhood Of Man, has died aged 77.
The UK outfit won the competition with their track ‘Save Your Kisses For Me.’ The song went on to top the charts in the UK and over 30 countries, selling six million units.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our great friend and colleague Brotherhood Of Man's Martin Lee, who slipped peacefully away on the evening of Sunday, September 29, 2024, from heart failure after a short illness,” said the band in a statement.
Lee joined the group to be their lead vocalist and guitarist in 1972, joining Lee Sheriden as well as Sandra and Nicky Stevens at the behest of manager Tony Hiller, after the initial line-up had split up.
The Eurovision triumph followed Brotherhood Of Man's first European number one with ‘Kiss Me Kiss Your Baby’, which led the group composing a song for the Eurovision Song Contest.
The second line-up went on to earn 26 platinum, gold and silver discs, three Ivor Novello Awards and a UK top 10 album in 1978 with the Twenty Greatest compilation. They retired from performing in 2020.
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Born in 1946 in Purley, London, Lee spent five years growing up in Australia. He would go on to marry his bandmate Sandra Stevens.
"He will be sadly missed by his fellow band members Nicky Stevens, Lee Sheriden and especially Sandra Stevens to whom he had been married for 45 happy years,” the band added.
"Over the past 50 years the four of us have toured the world together in harmony and have so many happy memories, but now we are in total shock and cannot imagine a world without Martin Lee RIP."