Steve Ellis, lead singer of the Sixties band Love Affair, has died at 76. His recording of "Everlasting Love" reached No. 1 in the UK in 1968 when he was 17. He later pursued a solo career and released the album Baby Faced Assassin in September.

Steve Ellis, the lead singer of the Sixties rock band Love Affair, has died at the age of 76. His recording of "Everlasting Love" made him a teenage pop sensation. A message on his official Facebook page said he died on October 30 after complications from a chronic illness. The message said he died peacefully on the evening of October 30, 2026, in the presence of his loved ones.

The hit that defined his career

Ellis was best known for the number one hit "Everlasting Love" with Love Affair in early 1968, when he was 17. He supplied the vocals for the band's cover, backed by session musicians rather than his bandmates. The song was written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden and was first recorded by American soul singer Robert Knight in 1967. It was later used in the 2021 Kenneth Branagh film Belfast.

Early life and Love Affair

Ellis was born in Edgware, north-west London, in 1950. He formed his first band, Soul Survivors, at age 15, and it became Love Affair. The line-up also included Rex Brayley, Mick Jackson, Lynton Guest and Maurice Bacon. The group's debut single, "She Smiled Sweetly," flopped.

Love Affair had three more UK Top 10 hits in the two years after "Everlasting Love." They were "Rainbow Valley," "A Day Without Love" and "Bringing On Back the Good Times." The band scored the first two of those hits before Ellis departed in 1969.

Solo career

Ellis left Love Affair in 1969 to pursue a solo career, frustrated with the group's stagnation and its teen idol label. He also fronted other bands, including Widowmaker and Ellis. His most recent album, Baby Faced Assassin, was released in September. It features three songs co-created with Paul Weller.

Tributes

Paul Weller paid tribute on Instagram, wishing Ellis safe travels and referencing the title of his best-known song. Musician Norman Beaker paid tribute on Facebook, describing Ellis as a good friend, a great voice and a legend with the mod movement. Beaker added that he had recently performed a track on Ellis's new album.