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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

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

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer 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 knowledge that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

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

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

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

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

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

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

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

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

Almond went on to have a successful 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 ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

However, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

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

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."

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