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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.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

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

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

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 LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on other projects.

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

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles 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.

Yet, they remained 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 NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we had in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.