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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

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

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

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a band, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

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

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting millions of units worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, 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 partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

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

Ball lately described the duo's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 1980s."

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