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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

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

Ball died peacefully in his sleep 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 the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

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

Following catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "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 part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born 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 Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After a further break, they returned in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, that year.

However, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

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

He noted that his period in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, 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 scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.