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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After catching a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

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

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out 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 successful solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records.

He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.