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The talented musician, a key member of the innovative 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

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

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense 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, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"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, memorable moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered 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 learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, selling 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following a further break, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball lately described the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.

He noted that his period in medical care had shaped the group's music.

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is due for launch in Spring 2026.