🔗 Share this article

The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

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

However, he had been in "high spirits 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 so happy with the latest project that we literally finished only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

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

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family 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 altered his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

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

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing 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 intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

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

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their initial records.

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

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

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