🔗 Share this article Soft Cell's Musical Force Dave Ball Passes Away, at the Age of 66 Dave Ball (left) formed Soft Cell alongside Marc Almond at Leeds during 1977 Dave Ball, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66. Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a classic of synth-pop. He later founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing. Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his residence 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 wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of health issues. "I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist." After contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months. Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year. "He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute. "It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work." The band were at the forefront of the electronic music scene in the beginning of the decade Heartfelt Messages Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work. "Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you." Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship". "Forming a duo with someone is different from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he continued. "That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave." Dave Ball, photographed at a radio station in recent years Formative Years Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old. He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted. He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an EP. Creative Collaboration The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy. Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing. Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s. The song was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye. They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982. The pair were working on new material until just before Ball's passing Professional Journey Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a music magazine. But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said. "I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it applies for so many bands." Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named 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 other projects. Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership. Reunions and Final Projects Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty. After another break, 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 final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year. Yet, they remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown. Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records. He added that his time in hospital had influenced the group's music. "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 sounds in my mind from those days. "Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s." The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for release in the spring of 2026.