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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored 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 considered a classic of synth-pop.

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

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

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about five ribs and fractured my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep 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, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally finished only a short time ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

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

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

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

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Musical Partnership

The duo 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 attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.

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

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He noted that his time in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

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

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

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