🔗 Share this article

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

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

He subsequently founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

Following catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

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

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we literally finished only a few days ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

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

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments 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 composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of 1981, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on 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 dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, 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 final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records.

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

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from those days.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

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