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Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

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

He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

At that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days 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 listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "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 part of my life and for the music you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from joining a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

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

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks 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.

However, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from that time.

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

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