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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

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

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

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it works for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He added that his time in medical care had shaped the group's music.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.