Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their version 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 formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball died peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Health Struggles
At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of ill-health.
"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."
Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.
However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," stated 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 heard the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.
"Many thanks Dave for being an significant aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Forming a duo with someone is different from joining a band, the connection is very tight," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."
Formative Years
Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.
He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.
Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.
The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.
Professional Journey
Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, 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 alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.
"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."
During the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on other projects.
Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further break, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, that year.
However, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.
He added that his period in hospital had influenced the group's music.
"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.
"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."
The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.
