Soft Cell's Dave Ball has died, aged 66
The producer and synth player, best known for his work as one half of the '80s pop duo, passed away peacefully on Wednesday
Dave Ball, legendary synth player, producer, and one-half of Soft Cell, has died aged 66.
In a statement shared via Instagram today (October 23), his bandmate Marc Almond confirmed Ball "passed away peacefully in his sleep" on Wednesday (October 22).
While no cause of death has been confirmed, Almond shared that Ball "had been ill for a long while and his health had been in slow decline over recent years."
"Thank you, Dave, for being an immense part of my life and for the music you gave me," Almond continued. "I wouldn't be where I am without you."
Born in Chester, Cheshire, in 1959, Dave Ball first met Marc Almond while studying in Leeds, going on to form Soft Cell in 1979. The duo released their debut EP, 'Mutant Moments', in 1980, funded by a £2000 loan from Bell's mother.
In 1981, Soft Cell rose to prominence with the single, 'Tainted Love' - a cover of Northern soul track of the same name, originally released by US singer-songwriter Gloria Jones.
The single charted at Number 1 in 17 countries and was the first of 12 UK Top 40 hits for Soft Cell — alongside their debut album, 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret', released in 1981, Soft Cell are credited with helping to popularise the synth-pop movement of the early '80s.
Soft Cell disbanded "amicably" in 1984, following the release of their third album 'The Last Night in Sodom', which featured the UK Top 20 single 'Soul Inside'.
Ball went on to form a string of short-lived bands, such as Other People alongside his ex-wife Gini Hewes, English Boy on the Loveranch with Nick Saunderson and Jamie Jones, The Grid with Richard Norris, and joined the collective Psychic TV — led by Genesis P-Orridge and Alex Fergusson, formerly of Throbbing Gristle.
Soft Cell reunited in 2002 for the album 'Cruelty Without Beauty', which was followed by a European and US tour; the album's second single, 'The Night', reached 39 in the UK Singles Chart.
Further live reunions occurred in 2018, 2021, and 2023. The pair's most recent performance was headlining the Rewind Festival in Henley, Buckinghamshire, in August.
Cited as a leading inspiration behind musicians such as Charli xcx and The Pet Shop Boys, Soft Cell have remained one of the UK's most influential electronic acts, with a YouGov poll placing them as the 9th best dance and electronic artists.
In his statement, Almond alluded to a forthcoming album from Soft Cell called 'Danceteria', which he describes as harkening back to "the start of it all, back in New York in the early '90s, the place and time that really shaped us."
"I wish he could have stayed on to celebrate 50 years in a couple of years' time," Almond's statement continues. "He will always be loved by fans who loved his music."
“It's a cliche to say, but he lives on and somewhere at any given time around the world someone listens to, plays, dances, and gets pleasure from a Soft Cell song - even if it's just that particular two-and-a-half-minute epic.”
Read Marc Almond's full tribute to Dave Ball below.
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter