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Dave Ball, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away 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 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally finished only a few days ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator 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 significant aspect of my life and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case 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 single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

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

They released another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

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

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

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.