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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of health issues.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 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 believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of 1981, shifting millions of units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

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

They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, 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 collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following another break, they reappeared in 2018, 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 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their first two albums.

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.