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The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

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

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

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.

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

Following catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased 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 positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

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

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a duo with someone is different from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he added.

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

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given 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, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

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

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After another break, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they remained active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.

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

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

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from those days.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.