Dave Ball, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.
He later founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Recent Health Challenges
During that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of health issues.
"I ended up damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."
Following catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the summer, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called 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 singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant 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 significant part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Being in a partnership with someone is different from joining a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.
"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Formative Years
Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.
He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an EP.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.
Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and began to combine 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 copies globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it helped cleared the path 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 album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.
Career Highlights
Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.
But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball said.
"I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."
During the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.
Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
After a further break, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the large venue on September 30, that year.
However, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.
He added that his period in medical care had influenced the band's sound.
"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from that time.
"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 1980s."
The final mixes were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.
