Marc Almond (born 9 July 1957 in Southport, England) is a singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as the vocalist of synth-pop duo Soft Cell, whose 1981 cover of "Tainted Love" became one of the defining singles of the new wave era. After Soft Cell disbanded in 1984, he built a prolific solo career spanning cabaret pop, French chanson, torch songs and Russian romance - selling over 30 million records worldwide. He received an OBE in 2018 and is also dubbed the "adopted son of Russia" by the Russian press for his albums of Russian folk and romance songs.
Soft Cell's sixth and final studio album, 'Danceteria', is scheduled for release on 25 September 2026 via Republic of Music, completed just days before co-founder Dave Ball's death in October 2025.
Soft Cell co-founder Dave Ball died on 22 October 2025, aged 66, just two days after completing the final mixes of 'Danceteria'; Almond described him as a "brilliant musical genius".
Soft Cell, with Almond as frontman, performed on the 21-date Generations Tour across North America alongside The Human League and Alison Moyet, running from June into early July 2026.
Soft Cell participated in Record Store Day on 18 April 2026, releasing a limited edition of the 'Danceteria' title track on white 12-inch vinyl.
Marc Almond released 'I'm Not Anyone', an album of covers, in 2024, continuing his long tradition of interpreting other songwriters' material.
