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

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He subsequently formed the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

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

"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we literally finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.

"Many thanks Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."

His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".

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

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

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

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.

Professional Journey

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

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."

Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, featuring 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.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting album 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 supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

Ball recently characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had shaped the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 80s."

The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.