Soft Cell star Dave Ball has died aged 66, the band has confirmed.
The electronic musician – who scored a Number One with the band’s famed cover of Tainted Love – died on Wednesday, just days after completing the final Soft Cell album.
Bandmate Marc Almond, 68, described him as a ‘wonderfully brilliant musical genius’, adding that he wished his musical partner would have ‘stayed on long enough to celebrate our 50 years together in a couple of years’ time’.
Almond said: ‘It is hard to write this, let alone process it, as Dave was in such a great place emotionally. He was focused and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago.
‘It’s so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work. Dave’s music is better than ever.
‘His tunes and hooks are still unmistakably Soft Cell, yet he always took it to the next level too. He was a wonderfully brilliant musical genius and the pair of us have been on a journey together for almost 50 years.
‘In the early days we were obnoxious and difficult, two belligerent art students who wanted to do things our way, even if it was the wrong way. We were naive and made mistakes, although we never really saw them as such.
‘It was all just a part of the adventure. Dave and I were always a bit chalk and cheese, but maybe that’s why the chemistry between us worked so well.’
Synth pop pioneer Dave Ball of Soft Cell has died at the age of 66, the band has confirmed (pictured: Ball in an image issued by the band announcing his death)
Ball pictured with bandmate Marc Almond in 1982. Almond has hailed his collaborator as a ‘wonderfully brilliant musical genius’
The electronic musician’s death comes just weeks after he performed his final gig with Soft Cell, headlining Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.
Formed in the late-1970s, the duo were pioneers of the synth pop sound which would become popular in the 1980s, and were best known for songs such as their cover of Gloria Jones’ Tainted Love, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, and Torch.
Their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981), is one of the most acclaimed albums of the 1980s.
The album was followed by Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing in 1982, one of the first ever remix albums.
Almond’s tribute continued: ‘Whenever we came back together after long periods apart there was always that warmth and chemistry. There was a deep mutual respect that gave our combined song-writing its unique power.
‘We laughed a lot, and shared a sense of humour, and a love of film, books and music. Dave had shelves full of books and an array of wonderful and surprising musical references.
‘He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I’m very proud of our legacy.’
The duo went on to release The Art Of Falling Apart (1983), which featured the hit singles Where The Heart Is and Numbers, and This Last Night In Sodom (1984), which saw the band shift towards a more eclectic sound, released a month after it was announced that the group would split.
In 2000, Soft Cell reunited for a run of live shows and a mini tour, before releasing their fourth album Cruelty Without Beauty in 2002, and in 2005 releasing a compilation of early demos called The Bedsit Tapes.
They returned again in 2018 for what was billed as a final reunion UK concert at The O2 in London, and in 2022 they released fifth studio album Happiness Not Included, having returned to gigging in 2021.
The band completed their sixth studio album, Danceteria, named after the 1980s New York nightclub, which is due to be released in Spring 2026, just days before Ball’s death.
In 1988, Ball founded the acid house group, The Grid, with fellow musician Richard Norris, who were best known for hits such as Swamp Thing, Texas Cowboys and Crystal Clear.
Paying tribute to Ball, Norris said: ‘Dave has been a huge part of my musical life for many years. Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is very tight. That’s how it was with us.
‘We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave. Thanks for the good times, the endless laughter, your unwavering friendship. Most of all, thank you for the music.’
In 1983, Ball released his first solo album In Strict Tempo, which featured contributions from The Virgin Prunes’ Gavin Friday and Throbbing Gristle’s Genesis P-Orridge, who he also worked with on the soundtrack for the West German film Decoder (1984), and in P-Orridge’s band Psychic TV.
Ball also worked as a producer, songwriter and remixer with artists including Kylie Minogue, David Bowie and Pet Shop Boys.
Almond added: ‘He will always be loved by the Soft Cell fans who love his music and his music and memory will live on. 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.’
Ball is survived by his close family, including his four children.
