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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

After catching a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming 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 heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described 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.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

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

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

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

Early Life

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

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

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

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

Following a further break, they reappeared 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 large venue on 30 September, that year.

However, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

He added that his time in hospital had influenced the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

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

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.