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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year 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 collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

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

Formative Years

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

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The last versions were finished only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.