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The talented musician, a key member of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

Following catching a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a duo with someone is different from joining a band, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."

During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, including 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 long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further break, they returned in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

Yet, they remained together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the band'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 medical care had shaped the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."

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