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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the music you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

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

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given 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 art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, shifting millions of units globally. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a cliché 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 follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including 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 long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following a further break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing 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, 2018.

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

Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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