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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set 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 truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "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 aspect of my life and for the songs you created with 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 "unwavering friendship".

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

"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk appear on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting millions of units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

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

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

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

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

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After another break, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

However, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their first two albums.

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

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

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.