🔗 Share this article

The talented musician, a key member of the innovative 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

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

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

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.

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

After catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

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

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album 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 part of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is very tight," he continued.

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

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of 1981, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After a further hiatus, they returned in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

However, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

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

The last versions were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.