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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about five ribs and fractured my wrist."

After catching a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for half a year.

However, he had been in "a great place mentally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.

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

"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

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

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is very tight," he added.

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

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, 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 altered his given name from his birth name to David, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and began to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, selling millions of copies worldwide. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

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

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

Professional Journey

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

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to concentrate on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.

Yet, they stayed together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

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

He added that his time in hospital had shaped the band's sound.

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.

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

"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.