Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with singer 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 debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.
He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Health Struggles
At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.
"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."
Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.
However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.
"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence 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 songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."
Early Life
Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.
He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, selling millions of units worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.
Professional Journey
Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.
But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many bands."
Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy 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 other projects.
Almond went on to have a successful 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 ambient pop over a enduring partnership.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.
However, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.
Ball recently characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.
He added that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.
"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from that time.
"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."
The final mixes were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.
