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Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

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

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

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned 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 described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "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 part of my existence and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

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

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

Formative Years

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

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs 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 good reason, because it applies for so many bands."

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following 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 September 30, 2018.

However, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

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

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 80s."

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