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The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After contracting pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

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

"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard 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", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"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 you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a band, the connection is very tight," he added.

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

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five 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.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit 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.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another break, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his period in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the sounds in my mind from that time.

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

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.