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Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

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

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned 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 masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

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

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, 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 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 also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

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

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

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

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another break, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their initial records.

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

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

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.