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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success 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 electronic music.

He subsequently formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

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

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

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

"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

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

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

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus 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 created The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball recently described the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

He noted that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.

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

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

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

The last versions were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.