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Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

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

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

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

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

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

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

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

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies globally. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, 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.

However, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

He added that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.

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

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from that time.

"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."

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