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The talented musician, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the pioneering techno group 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 playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

Following contracting pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased 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 completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort 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 extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling millions of copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 album 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 performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball lately characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.

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

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