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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 singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

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

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of health issues.

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

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

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

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting millions of units worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional high-charting hits: 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 loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball lately described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

"I had unusual memories 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 noises in my mind from those days.

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

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.