Steve Ellis, Love Affair singer behind Everlasting Love, dies at 76

Steve Ellis, the singer who found fame as the frontman of 1960s pop-rockers Love Affair, has died aged 76. He passed away peacefully on October 30, 2026, after complications from a chronic illness.

Ellis gave voice to one of the most enduring hits of the 1960s: Everlasting Love. The song, written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden and originally recorded by Robert Knight, topped the UK singles chart for two weeks in 1968. The Love Affair's version, recorded when Ellis was just 16 or 17 between shifts at a building site, famously knocked the Beatles' Hello, Goodbye off the number one spot.

Born in Edgware, north-west London, in 1950, Ellis was a teenage pop sensation. He formed the band Soul Survivors at 15, inspired after seeing James Brown perform live. "He blew our socks off, he was phenomenal," Ellis once said. "I thought, that's how a singer has to be, so I started doing gymnastics." Soul Survivors morphed into Love Affair in 1966, with Ellis alongside Rex Brayley, Mick Jackson, Lynton Guest, and Maurice Bacon.

Signed to Decca, their debut single She Smiled Sweetly was released almost concurrently with the Rolling Stones' original. Ellis's vocal was arguably more spirited, really selling the song's pledge of eternal fealty. Despite that single's commercial failure, Everlasting Love catapulted them to fame. The band secured further commercial success with three more UK Top 10 hits in the next two years.

Ellis became disillusioned as fame waned later in the decade. The band wanted to explore progressive rock, a direction that didn't suit him. I'd always been a soul-boy, he explained. The incessant screaming of fans, which made it impossible to hear themselves play, was another key factor in the split.

A varied solo career

He embarked on a solo path, forming the supergroup Ellis in 1972 with Zoot Money, Andy Gee, and Jimmy Leverton. Their debut album was produced by The Who's Roger Daltrey. Later members included Nick South and Dave Lutton. Ellis then joined the band Widowmaker, which featured ex-Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton, recording a self-titled debut in 1976 before they continued without him.

His solo albums included The Last Angry Man in 1977 and Basement Days in 1983. A significant return came in 2008 with Best of Days, which reunited him with Daltrey and, more importantly, kickstarted an enduring creative partnership with Paul Weller. Weller appeared on two tracks, including a live acoustic version of Everlasting Love.

Tributes and lasting impact

That collaboration flourished. Weller co-wrote two tracks and co-produced Ellis's 2018 album Boom! Bang! Twang! They worked together on a one-off song, Just to Simplify, in 2022. Ellis's most recent album, Baby Faced Assassin released in September 2026, featured another three songs co-created with Weller.

Following news of his passing, tributes poured in from peers and fans. Paul Weller wrote on Instagram: God bless ya Stevie safe travels everlasting love for sure. Fellow musician Chip Pauly called Ellis 'mukka' and described him as one of the world's greatest 'blue eyed soul' voices. Pauly added, Rest in Peace my friend, I'm sure if they've got a stage where you are now they'll have you on it belting out 'Rainbow Valley'.

Tom Read, who toured with Ellis in 2019, remembered him as a great singer and a great guy, recalling how Ellis spent time chatting with his mother backstage after a show. Ellis leaves behind his wife of 48 years, Val, his son Louis, and other family. His musical legacy, defined by that timeless 1968 hit and a late-career renaissance with Paul Weller, endures. Their final collaboration, Baby Faced Assassin, is a sign of that creative bond.