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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 vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

After catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul 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 music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC program a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

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

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

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

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

However, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records.

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

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 80s."

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.