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Dave Ball, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally finished 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 uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born 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 Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting millions of units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, 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 concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit 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.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in recent years, releasing the original singles 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 remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

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

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 80s."

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