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Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

After catching a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond described 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 aspect of my life and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on other projects.

Almond went on to have a successful solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately described the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

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

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 80s."

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.