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Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from joining a band, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Thank you, 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 was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling millions of units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a successful individual path, featuring 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 long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

However, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their initial records.

He noted that his period in hospital had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

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

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

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.