🔗 Share this article

Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball died peacefully in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of health issues.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record 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 completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a tribute.

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

Tributes

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 life and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

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

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in 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 changed his first name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of 1981, shifting millions of units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on other projects.

Almond went on to have a successful individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

However, they stayed together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball lately characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He noted that his period in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

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

"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from those days.

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.