Dave Ball, a key member of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a classic of synth-pop.
He later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of ill-health.
"I ended up damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my arm."
Following catching a lung infection and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for release in the coming year.
"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence 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 you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he added.
"That was the case with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Brought into the world into a one-parent family 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 adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a unique creative synergy.
Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, selling 21 million units globally. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The song was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.
Professional Journey
Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.
But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.
"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."
During the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.
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 combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further break, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
Yet, they stayed together, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their first two albums.
He noted that his period in hospital had shaped the band's sound.
"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from that time.
"In parallel, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."
The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.
