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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest 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.

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of ill-health.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about five ribs and fractured my arm."

After catching a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence 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 songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, 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 younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

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

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"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 succeeded to create a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.

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 long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

However, they remained active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 80s."

The last versions were finished only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.