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

Steve Ellis, the frontman of 1960s pop-rock band Love Affair, has died aged 76. An announcement on social media said he died peacefully on 30 October following complications from a chronic illness. His recording of Everlasting Love with the group became a UK chart-topper in 1968 and remained the best-known song of his career.

Born in Edgware, north-west London, in 1950, Ellis was 15 when he formed Soul Survivors, the group that developed into Love Affair in the mid-1960s. His musical influences included Black American soul and R&B performers, particularly James Brown, whom he saw in concert. Recalling that performance in a 2021 interview with the Express, Ellis said Brown's stage presence prompted him to take up gymnastics.

Love Affair signed to Decca, but their first single, She Smiled Sweetly, failed to find success. Its release came at almost the same time as the Rolling Stones' original recording. The breakthrough arrived with their next single, Everlasting Love, which Ellis recorded between shifts working on a building site.

Written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, Everlasting Love had first been recorded by American singer Robert Knight. Love Affair's version held the UK No 1 spot for two weeks. Other recordings achieved greater success in the United States, including Carl Carlton's version, which reached No 6 in 1974. Love Affair's recording has nevertheless remained the song's most popular version on streaming services and a regular choice for wedding ceremonies.

Three further UK Top 10 singles followed for Love Affair over the next two years, with large-scale orchestral arrangements supporting Ellis's vocals. Rainbow Valley was another Cason and Gayden composition previously recorded by Knight, and spent 11 weeks in the Top 40. A Day Without Love and Bringing on Back the Good Times extended the band's run of hits.

As the group's popularity faded later in the decade, Ellis grew dissatisfied. He later described a disagreement over musical direction, with other members favouring progressive rock while he remained committed to soul. He also said the noise from screaming fans, which prevented the musicians from hearing themselves play, was the principal reason for the breakup.

In 1972, he formed Ellis, whose first album was produced by Roger Daltrey. He subsequently joined Widowmaker, alongside former Hawkwind member Huw Lloyd Langton and other musicians, recording the band's self-titled 1976 debut before it carried on without him. Solo releases followed with The Last Angry Man in 1977 and Basement Days in 1983.

Ellis returned with Best of Days in 2008, featuring Daltrey on two tracks and Paul Weller on another two, including a live acoustic performance of Everlasting Love. Weller later co-produced 2018's Boom! Bang! Twang! and co-wrote two of its tracks. Their collaboration continued with Just to Simplify in 2022 and three songs on Ellis's latest album, Baby Faced Assassin, released in September. Paying tribute on Instagram, Weller wrote: “God bless ya Stevie safe travels everlasting love for sure.”