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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success 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 classic of electronic music.

He later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and fractured my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence 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 songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

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

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

Formative Years

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

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded 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 long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

Following another break, they returned in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

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