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Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in hospital for seven months.

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

"He was concentrated and so happy 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 year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect 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, also paid tribute, 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 continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews 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 musicians."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting album 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 staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

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

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.