🔗 Share this article

Dave Ball, a key member of the innovative 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 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.

"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."

After catching pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life 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 distinct from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in the city of 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 his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, selling 21 million units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"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 party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including 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 long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

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

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

Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we had in the 1980s."

The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.