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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of ill-health.

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

After catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC program a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

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

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

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

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After another break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed 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 visited while recording their first two albums.

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

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

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.

"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 launch in Spring 2026.