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Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He later founded the innovative electronic act 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 performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant part of my existence 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, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of 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 changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense 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 solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another hiatus, they returned in 2018, 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, that year.

Yet, they stayed together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

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

"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from those days.

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

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.