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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

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

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

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

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

Tributes

Almond described 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 body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant part of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, selling millions of copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

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

However, they remained active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

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

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from those days.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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