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Dave Ball, one half of the pioneering 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many musicians."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another break, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

He added that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.