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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.

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

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

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

Following catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally finished only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "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 immense aspect of my existence and for the music you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household 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 was raised in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews 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 growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

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

Yet, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.

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

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.

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

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