🔗 Share this article

Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.

He later founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for seven months.

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

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."

Tributes

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

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

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"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 remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

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

He grew up in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show a popular series, and started to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The song was also featured on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.

"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the charting album 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 large venue on 30 September, that year.

Yet, they remained active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.

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

He added that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.

"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

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

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

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