Kennie Simon

Kennie Simon has been the lead singer of Hot Chocolate since 2010, when he took over from Greg Bannis — he fronts the band itself, not a tribute to it. He came up from Hampstead in London, fronting Simon K and the Meantimers, and his career has taken in studio sessions at Abbey Road and Northern Soul before one phone call changed it: an invitation to join Hot Chocolate for a show in Düsseldorf. "We went on stage and the place erupted," he recalls. "They all thought it was Errol Brown. The show went down fantastically well — and that night, the band asked me to become their new singer." His touring show, 16 Years of Hits with Hot Chocolate, carries "You Sexy Thing", "Emma" and "Every 1's a Winner".