Love Affair frontman Steve Ellis, voice of Everlasting Love, dies aged 76

Death and announcement

Steve Ellis, the frontman of the Sixties band Love Affair, died aged 76. His official Facebook page said he died on the evening of 30 October 2026 after complications from a chronic illness, surrounded by his loved ones. Songwriter David Courtney announced the death first on his own Facebook page, calling Ellis his long-time friend. That post came before the family's official message, which asked people to leave their memories and condolences in the comments and closed with the title of the song that defined his career.

Everlasting Love and the chart controversy

Love Affair's cover of Robert Knight's song "Everlasting Love" reached number one on the UK chart and held the top spot for two weeks. Sources date that chart run differently, with some giving 1967 and others 1968. The chart recording used session musicians rather than the band members, and Love Affair later claimed its management had engineered the backlash for publicity. Three more UK Top 10 hits followed within two years, and Rainbow Valley, a song first performed by Robert Knight, spent 11 weeks in the UK top 40.

Other versions of the song sold better in the United States, including Carl Carlton's No 6 hit in 1974, but the Love Affair recording remains the most popular version on streaming services.

Early life and solo career

Ellis, who came from Middlesex, was born in 1950 and formed his first group, Soul Survivors, at the age of 15. That group later became Love Affair in the mid-1960s, and he left in 1969 to pursue a solo career. He went on to front bands including Widowmaker and one simply called Ellis. In a 2026 interview he said he had quit music at the start of the 1980s, before being encouraged back while recuperating from an injury. He toured small venues across the country and had recorded a new album, which was in the mixing stage while he hoped to secure a distribution deal.

Tributes from musicians and a festival company

Paul Weller, guitarist and principal songwriter of The Jam, posted a message on Facebook that closed with a nod to the song that made Ellis famous.

“God bless ya Stevie safe travels everlasting love for sure.”

Norman Beaker, a blues musician, said he had recently performed one of his own songs, She Heals My Soul, on Ellis's new record. Beaker also praised Ellis's character and his place in the mod scene.

“He was a legend with the mod movement, a great character, he will be sadly missed.”

BCM Entertainments Ltd, a Kent-based festival company, said Ellis had been a familiar face at its events for many years. The company said his performances had always brought something special to its events, and it sent condolences to his family, friends and fellow musicians.