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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

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

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world 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 the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled 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 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 mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

Yet, they stayed active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the band's sound.

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

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

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