Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.
He subsequently founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Health Struggles
At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of health issues.
"I managed to damage 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 catching a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.
"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.
"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.
"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a group, the bond is very tight," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.
He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.
Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.
The track was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.
Career Highlights
Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.
But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances 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 party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on other projects.
Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following another break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
Yet, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records.
He noted that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.
"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."
The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.
