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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of electronic music.

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."

After contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a short time ago," said the vocalist 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."

Tributes

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I couldn'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 distinct from being in a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

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

Formative Years

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 18 months of age.

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

"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 create a follow-up classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After a further break, they returned in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

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

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his period 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 pain medication," he explained to a publication.

"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 final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.