🔗 Share this article

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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.

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

After catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

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 scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "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 wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from joining a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

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 released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on 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 acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they returned in recent years, releasing 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 30 September, that year.

However, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

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

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the times we had in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.