Dave Ball, one half of Soft Cell , has died aged 66.

Dave Ball was joined in the 80s synth-pop band by Marc Almond , who is gay, with the pair best known for their iconic take on “Tainted Love” by Gloria Jones.

The Guardian reports that representatives for Ball said the musician died “passed away peacefully in his sleep at his London home on Wednesday.”

In a statement Almond described his bandmate as a “wonderful brilliant musical genius.” While no cause of death has been given at this time, Almond did say, “Dave has been ill for a long while and his health had been in slow decline over recent years.”

Ball suffered from pneumonia and sepsis after a fall in 2022, at one point being put into an induced coma. He recently performed with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames

See Full Page