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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo scored 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 considered a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

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

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

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

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

Tributes

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

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a duo with someone is different from joining a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

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

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

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.

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

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