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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.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

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

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

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally finished only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

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

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

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

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling 21 million units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism 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 create a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record 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 stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

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

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.