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

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the pioneering techno group 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, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally finished only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

"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 your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

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

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, selling millions of units worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting 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.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" 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 applies for so many bands."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After another break, they reappeared in recent years, issuing 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 September 30, 2018.

However, they stayed together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

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

He added that his period in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in Spring 2026.