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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo 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 electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of 1981, selling 21 million units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

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

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

He added that his time in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

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

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.