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Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

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

After catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

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

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a second classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball recently characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their initial records.

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 pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we had in the 80s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.