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Dave Ball, one half of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

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

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

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

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

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Tributes

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

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Thank you, 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 18 months old.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on other projects.

Almond went on 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 mixed acid house with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another break, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

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

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the times we had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.