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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave 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 "unwavering friendship".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

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

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved 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 high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on other projects.

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

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their initial records.

He noted 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.

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

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

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.