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

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, 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 latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"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 your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. 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 distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

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

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, that year.

Yet, they remained together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

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

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my mind from those days.

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

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