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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally finished 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 time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

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

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles 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, that year.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic 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 noted that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from that time.

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

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