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Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set 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 heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking 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 finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

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

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

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

Formative Years

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

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, 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. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and started to marry 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 units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

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

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

They released another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they remained active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

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

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

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

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

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.