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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about five ribs and fractured my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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 legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence 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 "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

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

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we had in the 1980s."

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