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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success 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 regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and fractured my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"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 your influence."

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

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

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family 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 given name from Paul to David, alongside 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 formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

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

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

Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, including 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 collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

However, they remained active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his time in hospital had influenced the band's sound.

"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we had in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.