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The talented musician, a key member of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

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

"Many thanks 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 your influence."

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

"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a band, 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. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

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

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, 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 ending the group to focus on other projects.

Almond went on to have a successful individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After a further hiatus, they returned in recent years, issuing 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, 2018.

However, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his period in medical care had shaped the group's music.

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

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

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

The last versions were finished only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.