WAVE GOODBYE

Synth-Pop Music Pioneer Dies at 66

David Ball, along with his Soft Cell partner Marc Almond, were behind a procession of hits.

Synth music legend David Ball, who was responsible for taking “Tainted Love” to the stratosphere, has died at the age of 66. He made up half of the British electro-pop powerhouse Soft Cell, which enjoyed a range of hits on either side of the pond. No cause of death has been announced. His representatives said he “passed away peacefully in his sleep at his London home on Wednesday.” His partner in Soft Cell, Marc Almond, paid tribute. “He was a wonderfully brilliant musical genius,” he said. “Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn’t be where I am without you.” Their biggest hit, “Tainted Love” was originally written for U.S. soul singer Gloria Jones in 1964. Their 1981 version reached Number Eight on U.S. Billboard Hot 100, staying in the list for 43 weeks. It also reached Number One in the U.K., acting as a launchpad for a barrage of tracks in the top 10, including “Bedsitter,” “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye,” “Torch,” and “What.” The duo split in 1984, with Ball saying, “We were taking too many dodgy substances and getting into weird nonsense.” He admitted that drug addiction was “tearing me apart,” The Guardian reports. The pair would intermittently reconnect to perform and record, coming together in 2022.