🔗 Share this article

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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo 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 later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

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 ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

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

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

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

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 a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his first name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more 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 top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He added that his time in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

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

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

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

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.