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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

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

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

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

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling 21 million units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on other projects.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following another break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles 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 active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

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

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

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.

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

"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.