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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version 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 synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After 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 "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next 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 tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year 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 referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "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 significant aspect of my life and for the music you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming moments as a team. Thank you, 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 his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name 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 learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

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

"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 party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a second classic album - 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 band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

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

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

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

Ball lately characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

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

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

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 80s."

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.