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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing 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 previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my existence and for the music 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 "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences 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 Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting millions of units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

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

They released 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 successful individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting album 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 staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, that year.

However, they remained active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their initial records.

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

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

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

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

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.