Dave Ball, One Half of Trailblazing Synth-Pop Duo Soft Cell and 'Tainted Love' Hitmaker, Dies at 66

Dave Ball, who as one half of Soft Cell brought dark, cutting-edge synth-pop to the masses, has died aged 66.

via: EW

Soft Cell lead vocalist Marc Almond shared the news Thursday, revealing that Ball died in his sleep at his London home on Oct. 21.

"It is hard to write this, let alone process it, but it is with the greatest sadness that the other half of Soft Cell, the wonderful brilliant musical genius David Ball, died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday night," Almond began his tribute to his former bandmate.

Almond wrote that despite the fact that Ball had been "ill for a long while and his health had been in slow decline over recent years," the musician had a "determined spirit to continue his work in the studio despite being unable to travel abroad." That spirit allowed Ball to perform with him as Soft Cell in the U.K.

"He will always be loved by fans who loved his music," Almond continued.

"It's a cliché to say, but it lives on, and somewhere at any given time around the world someone listens to, plays, dances, and gets pleasure from a Soft Cell song — even if it's just that particular two-and-half-minute epic," he added, referring to their massive 1980s international hit, "Tainted Love."

He concluded the tribute by sharing his gratitude for being able to work alongside Ball throughout the decades. "My thoughts are with his family at this time," he wrote. "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."