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The talented musician, a key member of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He later founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as 2026 was all set 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 great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "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 part of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, selling millions of units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to create a second classic album - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles 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, 2018.

Yet, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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