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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an positive 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."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a band, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

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

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling 21 million copies globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

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

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further 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 large venue on September 30, that year.

However, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

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

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the times we had in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.