Steve Ellis, the frontman of 1960s pop group Love Affair, has died aged 76 after complications from a chronic illness, his family has announced. The singer, best known for the number one hit Everlasting Love, passed away peacefully on the evening of October 30, 2026, in the presence of his loved ones.
Career and chart success
Ellis rose to fame as the lead singer of the London group Love Affair, which became one of Britain's most successful acts of the decade. The band made their first releases in 1967, with Everlasting Love reaching number one and knocking The Beatles' Hello Goodbye off the top spot. They followed up with further hits including A Day Without Love and Rainbow Valley.
Before Love Affair, Ellis was born in Edgeware and became lead singer of Soul Survivors at age 15. The group reportedly turned up uninvited at weddings, youth clubs and Bar Mitzvahs across north London, pretending they had been booked to perform. They later changed their name to Love Affair.
Tributes and later projects
News of his death was confirmed in a statement on his official Facebook account, which read: "Dear Friends, It’s with a heavy heart that we share the news of Steve’s passing. After complications from a chronic illness, Steve peacefully left the world on the evening of October 30, 2026, in the presence of his loved ones. Please feel free to leave your thoughts, memories, or condolences for the family in the comments below. Everlasting Love."
Blues guitarist Norman Beaker, who described Steve as a "good friend", paid tribute to him as a "legend" of the UK's mod movement. Record producer David Courtney wrote: "I am sad to announce the passing of my long time friend Steve Ellis who left us [on Saturday]. My thoughts are with Val and the family". Boom Radio praised the singer's "unmistakable vocals", while Heritage Chart Radio remembered him as "one of the great voices of British music".
After Love Affair, Ellis formed the band Ellis in 1972 with keyboardist Zoot Money, guitarist Andy Gee and bassist Jimmy Leverton, and later joined Widowmaker, whose debut album was released in 1976. His track Sunset was listed in the Heritage Chart at the time of his death.
