Soft Cell's Musical Force Dave Ball Passes Away, Aged 66

The talented musician, one half of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Together with singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.

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

Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that performance, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.

"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a band, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Musical Partnership

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

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style 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 separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."

Amidst 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 album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they returned in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, 2018.

However, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

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

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

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

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.