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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly 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 the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."

Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator 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.

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style 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 the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

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

They released another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from that time.

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

The last versions were finished only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.