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Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

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

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from joining a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling millions of units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

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

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

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

Ball recently described the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He added that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

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

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

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.