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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.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

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

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and started to marry 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 21 million copies globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

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

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know 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 duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on to have a successful 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 partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball lately described the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 80s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.