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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball died peacefully in his sleep 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

At that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

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

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

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Tributes

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences as a team. Thank you, 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 of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned 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.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a follow-up classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

However, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

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

He noted that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

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

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.