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The talented musician, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."

Following contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally finished only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He grew up 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 younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC program a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on 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 ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball lately described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited 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 hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."

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