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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

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

Ball passed away calmly 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 music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally finished only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year 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 great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from being in a group, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, 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 fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on BBC program a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling millions of copies globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

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

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

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring 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 the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in recent years, releasing 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, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.

He added that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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