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Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly 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.

Recent Health Challenges

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

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

After 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 fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally 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 uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of 1981, shifting millions of units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They followed 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 purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

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

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on other projects.

Almond went on to have a successful solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another hiatus, they returned 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 large venue on September 30, that year.

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

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their first two albums.

He noted that his period in hospital had influenced the band's sound.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

The last versions were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.