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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 team scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of ill-health.

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

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"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 finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", 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 music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from joining a band, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

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

They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances 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 applies for so many musicians."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded 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 mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After another break, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

However, they stayed active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

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

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

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

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my head 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 died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.