David Ball, one half of groundbreaking synth-pop duo Soft Cell, died in his sleep on Wednesday at age 66.
The musician, who formed the influential New Wave act alongside Marc Almond, passed away from natural causes.
Ball’s partnership with Almond created one of the most recognisable songs of the 1980s with their cover of “Tainted Love”, originally recorded by soul singer Gloria Jones in 1964. The song became a global phenomenon when released just weeks before MTV launched in summer 1981, with the fledgling network playing the video continuously due to their desperate need for content.
“He will always be loved by the Soft Cell fans who love his music and his music and memory will live on,” Almond said in a statement (as per Rolling Stone). “At any given moment, someone somewhere in the world will be getting pleasure from a Soft Cell song. Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn’t be where I am without you.”
The duo’s origin story began in 1977 when Ball and Almond met as art students at Leeds Polytechnic. Ball was initially drawn to Almond’s reputation as a daring performance artist, particularly his controversial piece titled “Mirror Fucking”. After hearing Ball creating “bleepy noises” on a synthesiser, Almond approached him to provide music for his performances, which eventually evolved into proper songs.
Their breakthrough came when Ball slipped a copy of their debut EP Mutant Moments to BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel backstage at the Futurama Festival. Peel’s airplay led to a recording contract with indie label Some Bizarre, launching their career.
“Tainted Love” propelled their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret to massive success, though follow-up singles like “Bedsitter” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” achieved greater success in England than America. Soft Cell disbanded in 1984 after releasing just two more albums.
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Ball remained musically active, forming electronic dance group The Grid with Richard Norris in 1988. The duo created the global hit “Swamp Thing” in 1994, keeping Ball busy throughout the 1990s.
Growing 1980s nostalgia prompted Ball and Almond to reform Soft Cell in 2000. They became regulars at European festivals and released albums Cruelty Without Beauty in 2002 and Happiness Not Included in 2022.
The duo’s final performance took place on August 16th at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames, sharing the bill with UB40, ABC, Squeeze, and Big Country. They had recently completed a new album.
“It’s so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him,” Almond reflected, noting that Ball had heard the finished record and considered it “a great piece of work.”
