Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of electronic music.
He subsequently founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Recent Health Challenges
At that show, Ball performed in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of health issues.
"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."
Following contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.
"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.
"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented 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 part of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".
"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.
"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.
He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.
Musical Partnership
The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.
Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of 1981, selling 21 million units globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path 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 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 enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.
But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.
"I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many musicians."
During the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.
Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
After 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 30 September, that year.
Yet, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their first two albums.
He noted that his time in medical care had influenced 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 digital reflection of the noises in my mind from that time.
"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."
The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.
