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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

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

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

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

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

Following a further hiatus, they returned in recent years, releasing the new tracks 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, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records.

He noted that his period in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we had in the 80s."

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