Soft Cell's Musical Force Dave Ball Dies, Aged 66

The talented musician, one half of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.

Alongside singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a classic of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.

Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of ill-health.

"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."

Following catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.

"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.

"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Heartfelt Messages

Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "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 significant part 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 "steadfast support".

"Forming a partnership with someone is different from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he added.

"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."

Early Life

Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.

He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.

He met Almond at an art college 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 promptly recorded an extended play.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.

Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk perform on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting 21 million units globally. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.

The track was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

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

Career Highlights

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

But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.

"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."

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

They released another LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.

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

Later Work and Comebacks

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

Following another hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

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

Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.

He noted that his period in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

"I had 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.

"In parallel, it's about the experiences we had in the 80s."

The final mixes were finished only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.