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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, 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 performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the singer 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 completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

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

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from being in a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting millions of units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - 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 band to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After a further break, they returned in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

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

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

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

"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.