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The talented musician, a key member of the innovative 1980s electronic music 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' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

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 managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

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

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

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

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.

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

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

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

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further 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 final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

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

Ball recently characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.

He added that his period in hospital had influenced the group's music.

"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 80s."

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