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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

After contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally finished only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks 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 your influence."

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

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

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

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies globally. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, 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 unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, that year.

However, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.

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

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

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.