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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show 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 spate of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

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

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

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

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

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

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

Early Life

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who altered his given name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

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

After a further break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing 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 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, 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 visited while recording their initial records.

He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the group's music.

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

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in Spring 2026.