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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

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

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished 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 positive 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 described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting millions of units globally. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

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

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

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

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

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

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, that year.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their first two albums.

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

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

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

"In parallel, 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 Spring 2026.