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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

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

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive 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 referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "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 created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given 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 his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting millions of units globally. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way 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 top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, 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 growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following another hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

However, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the band's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their first two albums.

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

"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.