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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", 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 immense part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

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

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

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

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting millions of units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.

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

Later Work and Comebacks

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

Following a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife 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 the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 1980s."

The last versions were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.