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The talented musician, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist 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 first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

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

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.

However, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.

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

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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