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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

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

Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

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

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

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

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

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on 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 mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the charting 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 staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.

He noted that his period in medical care had shaped the group's music.

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 80s."

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