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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned 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", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the music you gave 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".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a band, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

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 creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting millions of copies globally. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

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

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

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following another break, they returned in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

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

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the group's music.

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

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