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The talented musician, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music band 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 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

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

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in the hospital for half a year.

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

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we actually finished only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.

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

Heartfelt Messages

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

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

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

"Being in a partnership with someone is different from joining 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. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling millions of units globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.

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

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.

Career Highlights

Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

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

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond went on 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 combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

Following another break, they returned in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, 2018.

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

Ball lately described the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

He noted that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."

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