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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally finished only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn'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 duo with someone is different from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, selling millions of copies worldwide. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a successful individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After a further hiatus, 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 farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.

He added that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the 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.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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