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

Together with 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 Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

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

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" during 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 completed only a few days ago," stated 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 fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I couldn'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 group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, alongside 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 shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting millions of copies globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped 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 produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on 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 combined acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, 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 final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

Yet, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

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

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

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.