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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, 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 a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

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

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

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled 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 pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

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

He added that his period in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.