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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.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their cover 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 founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

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

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

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

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

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

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

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

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

They put out one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

Almond went on 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 combined dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making 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 the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

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

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

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball died. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.