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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 duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep 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

During that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of ill-health.

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

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

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

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

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

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

Formative Years

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 was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo 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 attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on other projects.

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 mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they returned in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

However, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their initial records.

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

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

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

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

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.