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

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

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

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

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

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

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

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, 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 changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances 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 good reason, because it applies for so many bands."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named 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 went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they reappeared in recent years, 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 remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in Spring 2026.