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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.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

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

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually finished only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

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

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable moments together. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television science show a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling millions of units worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two further top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

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

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

They put out another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

After another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

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

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

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

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

"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from those days.

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

The last versions were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.