Steve Ellis, the lead singer of Love Affair, has passed away aged 76.
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Ellis → pass → Affair
The news was confirmed via a statement on the singer's Facebook page, which said that Ellis died 'after complications from a chronic illness'.
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Ellis → confirm → illness
'Dear Friends, It's with a heavy heart that we share the news of Steve's passing,' the statement shared on Sunday read.
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statement → share → Sunday
'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.
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Steve → leave → ones
Ellis was the frontman of the London-based pop group Love Affair, which formed in the late 1960s.
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which → base → 1960s
Steve Ellis, the lead singer of Love Affair, has passed away aged 76.
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Ellis → pass → Affair
The news was confirmed via a statement on the singer's Facebook page, which said that Ellis died 'after complications from a chronic illness' (pictured in 1968)
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Ellis → confirm → 1968
Ellis was the frontman of the London-based pop group Love Affair, which formed in the late 1960s.
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which → base → 1960s
(L-R) Drummer Maurice Bacon, Ellis, bassist Mick Jackson keyboardist Lynton Guest and guitar player Rex Brayley pictured in 1968
Born in Edgware, Ellis's first band as a 15-year-old was The Clifton Bystanders before he formed the Soul Survivors, whose name was later changed to Love Affair.
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name → picture → Affair
Love Affair released their first singles in 1967, including chart topper Everlasting Love which knocked The Beatles' Hello Goodbye from the number one spot in January 1968.
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which → release → January
Ellis was just 16 years old when he recorded the hit song.
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he → record → song
The band had heard the original version of the track, recorded by Robert Knight, during a rehearsal session in Walthamstow with Ellis revealing 'I loved it and so we set about putting it down on tape.'
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we → hear → tape
The song attracted some controversy when it was later revealed that the band, aside from Ellis, didn't play on the released version.
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band → attract → version
Love Affair's original recording produced by Muff Winwood, was rejected by Island Records.
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recording → produce → Records
Producer Mike Smith decided to record a new version of the song with Ellis and a backing group of session musicians rather than his actual bandmates, admitting they were pressed for time.
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they → decide → time
The band later came clean when they were ambushed with questions about the recording on the talk show Good Evening I'm Jonathan King.
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I → come → show
Following Everlasting Love's success the band had four further top 20 hits across the next two years – Rainbow Valley, A Day Without Love, One Road and Bringing on Back the Good Times.
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band → follow → Times
Their album The Everlasting Love Affair arrived in December 1968.
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album → arrive → December
Love Affair released their first singles in 1967, including chart topper Everlasting Love which knocked The Beatles' Hello Goodbye from the number one spot (Ellis pictured in 1967)
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Ellis → release → 1967
After growing frustrated with being labelled as a pop band, the group experimented with a new sound which flopped in the charts.
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which → grow → charts
Ellis felt the band had run its course and he quit in December 1969 for a solo career.
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he → feel → career
In 1970 he sang on the soundtrack for Loot the film of Joe Orton’s play directed by Silvio Narizzano.
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he → sing → Narizzano
He then formed the shortlived band Ellis and later joined the hard rock band Widowmaker, releasing their debut studio album in 1976.
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He → form → 1976
Blues guitarist and friend Norman Beaker shared a tribute on Facebook on Sunday, praising Ellis as a 'legend' of the UK's mod movement.
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Beaker → share → movement
I recently performed a track on his new album, one of my songs "She heals my soul".
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She → perform → soul
He was a legend with the mod movement, a great character, he will be sadly missed,' wrote Beaker.
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Beaker → miss → movement
Record producer David Courtney posted: 'I am sad to announce the passing of my long time friend Steve Ellis who left us [on Saturday].
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who → post → Saturday