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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my spine and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and believed 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.

"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 you."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from joining a band, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a one-parent family in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units globally. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.

The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Career Highlights

Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

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

"I know 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 duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.

After another hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

However, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently described the duo's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.

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

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

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from those days.

"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 80s."

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