British Singer Behind ‘One of the Most Enduring Hits of the 1960s’ Has Passed Away at 76

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Best known as singer for British band Love Affair, Steve Ellis has passed away at age 76.

“It’s with a heavy heart that we share the news of Steve’s passing,” read a sad update shared via Facebook.

“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,” the post added.

No. 1 with ‘Everlasting Love’

As lead singer of British band Love Affair, the group rode the British Invasion wave that erupted in the wake of Beatlemania. Founded in London in 1966, the band initially called themselves Soul Survivors before changing the name to Love Affair later that year.

The group’s first breakout featured Ellis on vocals, Love Affair’s 1967 cover of Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love.” The song rocketed to No. 1 on the U.K. charts, with The Guardian describing the single as “one of the most enduring hits of the 1960s.”

That success, however, became clouded with controversy when it was later revealed that Ellis was the only member of the band featured on the track, with all the instrumentation provided by session musicians, not the band itself.

While “Everlasting Love” proved to be Love Affair’s biggest single, other top-10 U.K. hits included “Rainbow Valley,” “A Day Without Love” and “Bringing on Back the Good Times.”

Solo Success and a Musical Collaborations

Ellis exited Love Affair in 1969 in order to embark on a solo career when he disagreed with the musical direction his bandmates wanted to take.

“The band wanted to go progressive rock and that wasn’t for me,” he said, via The Guardian. “I’d always been a soul-boy. The main reason we broke up though was the screaming [fans]. We couldn’t hear what we were playing.”

In 1972 he formed the band Ellis, with the group’s debut album produced by The Who frontman Roger Daltry. He then formed another group, Widowmaker, but neither matched the success he’d achieved with Love Affair.

He released a solo album in 1977, “The Last Angry Man,” followed by “Basement Days” in 1983.

After a lengthy hiatus from the music business, Ellis returned in 2008 with”Best of Days,” with Daltrey joining him on two of the album’s tracks.

Also appearing on that album was The Jam’s Paul Weller, which sparked an ongoing collaboration between the two; in fact, when Ellis released his final album, “Baby Faced Assassin,” in September 2026, it featured three songs he co-wrote with Weller.

Weller was among the many to pay tribute, writing on Instagram: “God bless ya Stevie safe travels everlasting love for sure.”

Musician Norman Beaker also paid tribute to Ellis, writing on Facebook. “He was a good friend and a great voice,” wrote Beaker, adding, “He was a legend with the mod movement, a great character, he will be sadly missed.”

Writing on Facebook last year (via Deadline), Ellis revealed that a severe bout of COVID-19 had robbed him of his ability to tour, explaining he could still sing, but his voice couldn’t sustain for the duration of an entire concert.

 “I have never fully recovered from Covid in 2020 and chronic symptoms since have compromised my ability to sustain lengthy touring anymore,” he wrote.

He elaborated in a recent interview with Strange Brew. “It’s a bit like being a carpenter and losing your arm,” Ellis explained.