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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of ill-health.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

Following catching a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "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 music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, selling 21 million units worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on to have a successful individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

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

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

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.

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

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