In a brief report written alarmingly like an obituary, Rolling Stone says that Marc Almond, singing half of ’80s duo Soft Cell, is currently in critical condition in a London hospital after sustaining serious head injuries when the motorcycle he was a passenger on crashed into a car at an intersection yesterday afternoon. No mention of who was driving. More to come. Meanwhile, some of RS‘s gun-jumping biobit:

British synth-pop pioneers Soft Cell formed in 1980 in Leeds, England, by art students Almond and Dave Ball, who had previously collaborated on music for theatrical productions. They scored a massive hit in 1981 with their provocative cover of “Tainted Love,” and their debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, went on to become a big success. By 1984, however, the short-lived duo had broken up, with Almond immediately plunging into solo work with various electronica projects.