London - British 1960s rock star Dave Dee, singer of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, has died at the age of 65 after a three-year battle with cancer, his business associate said Friday.

Dee, whose real name was David Harman, was originally a police officer who gave up his job to make money from music.

His band, whose name was an amalgam of members' nicknames, had eight top 10 hits in the 1960s. Between 1965 and 1969, the group frequently spent more weeks in the Singles Chart in Britain than The Beatles.

Hits which gained worldwide popularity included Hold Tight, Bend It and The Legend of Xanadu, a number one hit in which Dee famously cracked a whip.

In September, 1969, Dee left the group for a short-lived solo career. In the 1990s, the band started performing together once more.

Dee continued playing gigs until near the end, his associate, Sean Cooney, said Friday.

"He didn't let it get him down, he was defying it," Cooney said of the rock star's battle with cancer. (dpa)