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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of health issues.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we actually 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 knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

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

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting millions of units worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on individual endeavors.

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 melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they returned in recent years, issuing 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 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.

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

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.