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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect 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, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

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

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly 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 makeup; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting millions of units globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

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

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

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

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

However, they stayed together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

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

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

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from that time.

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

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