Musician Dave Ball, who made up half the British synth-pop band Soft Cell, is dead at 66.

Along with singer Mark Almond, Soft Cell was best known for the 1981 hit song “Tainted Love.” Almond announced his musical partner’s death on Facebook Thursday.

“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 said.

Soft Cell duo David Ball, left, and Marc Almond perform in concert at the Toyota Pavilion in Concord, Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

Soft Cell instrumentalist David Ball performs in concert at the Toyota Pavilion in Concord, Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay

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