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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking 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 completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

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

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered 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 EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase substances to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

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

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," 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 got up to in the 80s."

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.