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

Alongside vocalist 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 regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show 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, after a period of health issues.

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

Following contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

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

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming 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 experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, 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 mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

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

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the monotony" 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 works for so many musicians."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - 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 ending the band to focus on other projects.

Almond went on 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 ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After a further break, they returned in 2018, releasing 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 30 September, that year.

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

Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

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

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.