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

Alongside vocalist 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 later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that show, Ball appeared 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 broke my arm."

Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we literally finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence 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 songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

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

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, 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 managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

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

Yet, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

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

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we had in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.