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

Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.

He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

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

Health Struggles

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

"I ended up damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

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

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant 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 "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".

"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Formative Years

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

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

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.

Musical Partnership

The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and began to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.

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

They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.

But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant 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 cliché for a valid cause, because it works for so many bands."

During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

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

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

Yet, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.

Ball recently described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.

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

"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."

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