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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit 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 seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

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

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally 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 uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

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 body of work.

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

Richard Norris 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's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born 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 Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

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 produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of 1981, shifting millions of units globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

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

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball recently characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He added that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.

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

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

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

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.