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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and fractured my arm."

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

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming 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 year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "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 songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the new tracks 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, that year.

However, they remained 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 New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He added that his period in hospital had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

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

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.