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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version 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 synth-pop.

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

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

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

"Many thanks 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."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

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

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

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

Later Work and Comebacks

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

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

Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.