Steve Ellis, the frontman for the Sixties rock band Love Affair, has died at the age of 76.
Ellis’s death was announced by the songwriter David Courtney, who wrote on his official Facebook page that he was “sad to announce the passing of my long time friend Steve Ellis, who left us yesterday” (30 October).
Later, Ellis’s official Facebook page confirmed the news.
“Dear friends, it’s with a heavy heart that we share the news of Steve’s passing,” the statement read. “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.”
Love Affair found success in 1967 with their cover of Robert Knight’s “Everlasting Love”, which hit Number One on the official UK charts. But controversy ensued when it was discovered that Love Affair did not actually play on the track, with its music provided by session musicians.
Despite the backlash – which Love Affair claimed was engineered by their management for publicity reasons – they continued to have a string of hits with later singles such as “Rainbow Valley” and “A Day Without Love”.
The Middlesex-born Ellis left Love Affair for a solo career in 1969, and fronted bands including Widowmaker and Ellis. He told The Strange Brew earlier this year that he abandoned the music industry at the start of the Eighties, but was encouraged to play music again while recuperating from an injury. He’d continue to tour with various bands, playing small venues across the country.
He also confirmed that he had recorded a new album, and was in the mixing stage and hoping for a distribution deal.
Musician Norman Beaker paid tribute to Ellis on Facebook, writing: “He was a good friend and a great voice.” He said that he had recently performed on a track from Ellis’s newest record, adding: “He was a legend with the mod movement, a great character, he will be sadly missed.”
BCM Entertainments Ltd, a Kent-based consultant group for festivals and events, also paid tribute to Ellis, writing: “His unforgettable music provided the soundtrack to so many memories, and his performances always brought something special to our events … Thank you for the music, the memories and the wonderful moments you shared with us.”
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