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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.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a worldwide hit with their cover 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 subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

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

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

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks 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."

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

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

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

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, 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 a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a second classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.

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

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following a further break, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, that year.

However, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

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

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

"I experienced 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 electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.

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

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.