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Dave Ball, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally finished only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, issuing 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 September 30, that year.

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

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

He added that his period in hospital had influenced the band's sound.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.