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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of health issues.

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort 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 "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence 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 songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

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

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling millions of units globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

However, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

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

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

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

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

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.