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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

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

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication 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 vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort 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 immense part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

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

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

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a follow-up classic album - the wayward, 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 individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded 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 acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

However, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

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

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.