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Dave Ball, a key member of the innovative 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

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

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

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

"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave 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 partnership with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

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

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given 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 changed his given name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five 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.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

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

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

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."

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