🔗 Share this article

The talented musician, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.

He later formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year 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."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

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

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting millions of units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

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

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

However, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.

He noted that his period in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

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

The last versions were finished only days before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.