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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved 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 regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He later founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

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

After catching a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused 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 next year was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the music you created with 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 "unwavering friendship".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, selling millions of units worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

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

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, tense 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 concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, including the top 10 hit 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, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their initial records.

He noted that his period in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the times we had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.