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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.

He later formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks 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 previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

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

After contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

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

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant aspect of my life and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

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

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds 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 units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, 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 band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

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

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, 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 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

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

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

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 80s."

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