Brian Connolly of The Sweet died penniless after selling house for tax payments

As the dashing lead singer of chart-topping glam rock sensation The Sweet, Brian Connolly had everything going for him.

The group enjoyed massive success during the 1970s, performing to enormous audiences across the globe and revelling in all the luxuries that came with stardom.

The band's guitarist, Andy Scott, confirmed they had achieved millionaire status at their height in the 1970s, courtesy of their 39 worldwide hits and 13 top 20 singles in the UK, including the number one smash Blockbuster.

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"A lot of money went through the bank accounts during that period. We moved into the millionaire status," he said.

Yet, by the time of his death in February 1997 at the age of 51 from kidney and liver failure, following a series of heart attacks, Brian was residing in a council flat with his partner and son and had been performing regular shows at Butlins to make ends meet, reports the Express.

In 1979 he left the band to pursue a solo venture, but despite his striking appearance and loyal following, his solo careeer got off to a rocky start when his singles failed to make the charts. Then, he and his bandmates from The Sweet were dealt a blow when they were slapped with a multimillion-pound tax bill from Inland Revenue, related to income from their hit records.

Brian was forced to sell his house to settle the demand. This came shortly after he began experiencing ongoing health issues. In 1981, he was hospitalised with bloating and suffered multiple heart attacks.

His health was permanently impacted by some paralysis on his left side, which later developed into a nervous system condition. Despite his physical ailments, he toured the UK and Europe with his band, the New Sweet, starting in early 1984. However, this too was short-lived.

In July 1990, plans were made for the band to tour Australia. During the lengthy flight, he experienced further health problems and was admitted to Adelaide Hospital for dehydration and related issues. The band performed a show in Adelaide without him, and it became clear his health wasn't up to par, leading to the cancellation of the tour extension.

He became a regular on the European "oldies" circuit and played occasional outdoor festivals in Europe with the band for a fraction of the fees he used to command in his heyday.

Legal battles were also draining his finances as he fought Andy Scott over the rights to The Sweet's name. They eventually reached an agreement to differentiate their respective groups to assist promoters and fans.

In 1995, he released a solo album, Let's Go, but it proved only "semi successful". That same year, his 23 year old partner Jean gave birth to their son. Sadly just two years later in February 1997 he passed away.

After his cremation, supporters collected funds for a memorial plaque at Breakspear Crematorium.

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