Steve Ellis, the Love Affair lead singer behind the hit 1967 cover of "Everlasting Love," has died. He was 76.
Ellis' death was announced on his official Facebook page Sunday, Nov. 1, noting that the singer died "peacefully" on Friday "after complications from a chronic illness."
London-based pop-rock group Love Affair – featuring lead singer Ellis, keyboardist Lynton Guest, guitarist Rex Brayley, drummer Maurice Bacon and bassist Mick Jackson – debuted with the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards-penned track "She Smiled Sweetly," which was unsuccessful.
The band later grew to notoriety in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with a string of hits in the United Kingdom, including "Everlasting Love," a cover of American singer Robert Knight's hit track of the same
name and year, and "Rainbow Valley," another Robert Knight song the group covered, again the same year of its original release.
Love Affair initially caused controversy when they admitted that their label brought in an orchestra for the recording of "Everlasting Love," and that only Ellis can be heard on the record.
The group later found success with its original tracks "A Day Without Love," "One Road" and "Bringing on Back the Good Times." But the band never achieved chart success in the United States. Ellis left the band in 1969 to pursue a solo career, frustrated with the group's stagnation and "teen idol" label.
"I wasn't happy. We couldn't hear what we were playing, and we were a band and making music," Ellis told U.K. radio station Hailsham FM in September. "I went to the record label, and I said, 'I can't do this anymore.' I said, 'It's not about music.'"
The band briefly continued with vocalist August Eadon before disbanding. Ellis also briefly revived the band as Steve Ellis's Love Affair.
Ellis was later a part of the short-lived bands Widowmaker and Ellis. His solo albums include "The Last Angry Man," "Ten Commitments," "Boom! Bang! Twang!," "Basement Days" and "Baby Faced Assassin," the latter released in September.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Ellis, lead singer of Love Affair, dies at 76
