“I’ve got a good reputation from my fellow artists and so forth as a singer,” said Steve Ellis to this scribe quite a few years ago in an interview we didn’t get to finish – and never will now that the voice behind “Everlasting Love” is silenced forever. One of the greatest blue-eyed soul performers to have ever come out of England passed away on October 30th at the age of 76 – a mere month after his latest album was issued. Still, Steve’s talents spanned much more than soul, which was why his standing among the colleagues and listeners seemed so important to Ellis.
Only 17 when the aforementioned hit by LOVE AFFAIR replaced THE BEATLES’ “Hello, Goodbye” at the top of the British charts in 1967, Steve didn’t feel too comfortable in the role of a pop warbler, and yet he surprised everyone when, some years after leaving that band and lending his vocals to the "Loot" soundtrack, Ellis ended up at the front of WIDOWMAKER, a hard-rock supergroup formed by Luther Grosvenor and featuring such luminaries as Huw Lloyd-Langton and Bob Daisley. It was with this ensemble that the singer delivered “El Doomo” – possibly the best piece he ever composed before quitting their ranks – and it was with this band’s keyboard player Zoot Money that he formed ELLIS, whose Roger Daltrey-produced debut "Riding On The Crest Of A Slump" became an obscure classic.
However, he would always be remembered as a Mod, which led to Ellis’s long-running collaboration with Paul Weller, that began with the charity single “Step Inside Love” in 1998 and continued on such records as "Best Of Days" – and both artists also shared the stage at the Ronnie Lane Memorial Concert in 2004. The peers’ respect for Steve was immense, indeed – not surprisingly, given his charisma and sense of humor. He will be sorely, sorely missed.
