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

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

He subsequently founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

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

"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 wrist."

Following catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances 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 musicians."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, 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 long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, that year.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately described the duo's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

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

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.

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

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.