Soft Cell's Creative Genius Dave Ball Passes Away, Aged 66

The talented musician, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.

He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away 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 Festival in Henley-on-Thames.

Recent Health Challenges

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of health issues.

"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 fractured my arm."

Following contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.

"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we literally finished only a few days ago," said the singer in a tribute.

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

Tributes

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

"Many thanks 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".

"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from joining a group, the bond is incredibly close," he added.

"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

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

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 Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

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

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.

Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in the following year.

Professional Journey

Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.

"I realize 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 pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

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

Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.

Later Work and Comebacks

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 record Cruelty Without Beauty.

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

Yet, they remained active, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while recording their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.

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

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

"Simultaneously, it's about the times we got up to in the 80s."

The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.