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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

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

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

Following contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

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

Early Life

Brought into the world 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 of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

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

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.

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

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles 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, 2018.

Yet, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his period in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 80s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.