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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track 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 subsequently founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep 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 the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

At that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to 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 body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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 connection is very tight," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named 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 went on to have a successful individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

However, they remained active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.