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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

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

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually finished only a short time ago," said 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 take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

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

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

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born 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 the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC program a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame 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 publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

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

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting record 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 final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's upcoming release 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 coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from those days.

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

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.