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The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest 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 the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting millions of copies globally. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

However, they remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the group's music.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 80s."

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.