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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

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

"It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the music you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

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

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling millions of copies globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, 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."

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a successful 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 ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another hiatus, they returned in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

However, they stayed active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

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 noted that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from that time.

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

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