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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

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

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from being in a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, 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 hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, including 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.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

However, they stayed together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections 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 noises in my head from those days.

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

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.