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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

After 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 "high spirits emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"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 believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded 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 combined acid house with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After a further break, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, that year.

However, they stayed together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their initial records.

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

"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we had in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for launch in Spring 2026.