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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of ill-health.

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

Following catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

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

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence 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 songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

However, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the duo's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his period 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 publication.

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

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

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.