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The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show 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, following a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my life and for the music you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

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

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After another break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

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

Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their first two albums.

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

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

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

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