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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," stated 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 knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

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

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared 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 further 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 the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

"I realize 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 duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group 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 mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they remained active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately described the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He added that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

"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 due for release in Spring 2026.