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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

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

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of ill-health.

"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.

However, 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 scheduled for publication in the coming year.

"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally finished only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.

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

Early Life

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

He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, 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."

Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second memorable record - the unconventional, tense 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 solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following a further break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing 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, that year.

However, they remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

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

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

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

"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from that time.

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 80s."

The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.