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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their cover 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 formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of health issues.

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

After contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

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

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

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

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of 1981, selling millions of units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

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

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

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

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

Ball lately described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.

He added that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections 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 noises in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.