🔗 Share this article

Dave Ball, a key member of the innovative 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

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

Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that performance, 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 stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

After contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort 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 "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"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, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from being in a group, the connection is incredibly close," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The track was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to relieve the monotony" 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 musicians."

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded 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 mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

Yet, they stayed active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

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

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

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

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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