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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

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

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer 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 heard the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After another hiatus, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

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

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

He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the band's sound.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"In parallel, it's about the times 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.