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The talented musician, one half of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my back and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."

After catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He added that his time in hospital had influenced the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my mind from that time.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.