Dave Ball, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.
He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Health Struggles
At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of health issues.
"I managed to damage myself significantly," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and cracked about five ribs and fractured my wrist."
After catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.
"He was focused and so happy with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond referred to his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.
"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".
"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he continued.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Formative Years
Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was put 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 Paul to David, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.
The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced 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.
Professional Journey
Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.
But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on other projects.
Almond went on to have a successful solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
After a further break, they reappeared in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
Yet, they remained together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.
Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.
He added that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.
"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the sounds in my head from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."
The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.
