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Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time 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, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally finished only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge 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 heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

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

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

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

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following another hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

However, they remained together, creating their latest project, 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 visited while recording their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from that time.

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

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