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The talented musician, a key member of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.

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

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

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Heartfelt Messages

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 immense aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Forming a partnership 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 remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."

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

They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

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

Yet, they remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

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

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we had in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.