Dave Ball, one half of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of electronic music.
He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.
"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."
After contracting a lung infection and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for half a year.
Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming 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 vocalist in a tribute.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.
"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a group, the connection is very tight," he continued.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."
Formative Years
Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.
He was raised in Blackpool with his new family his caregivers, who altered his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.
Ball had cultivated a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The track was also included 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 peaked at number two in 1982.
Professional Journey
Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.
But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.
"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."
Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to produce a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on other projects.
Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house 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.
After another hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, 2018.
However, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.
Ball lately described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.
He noted that his time in medical care had influenced the band's sound.
"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from that time.
"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."
The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.
