Half of electronic music duo responsible for some of the biggest hits of the 1980s has died.
Dave Ball, a founding member of the English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, died peacefully in his sleep in London on Oct. 22, according to the band’s official website. He was 66.
Ball’s death comes weeks after he performed in a wheelchair when Soft Cell headlined the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames in front of more than 20,000 fans.
Singer Marc Almond, Ball’s musical collaborator of 46 years and Soft Cell bandmate, wrote a moving tribute to his friend and collaborator.
“It is hard to write this, let alone process it, as Dave was in such a great place emotionally,” it said in part. “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”
Formed when both men were art students at Leeds Polytechnic in 1979, Soft Cell helped to define the sound of British music in the 1980s and beyond. Their second single, “Tainted Love” topped the charts in the U.K. and 17 countries around the world and was certified as Britain’s best-selling single of 1981.
Other hits include “Torch,” “Bedsitter,” “What!” “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” and many more.
The group is also remembered for a 2018 reunion concert in front of 20,000 fans at The O2 in London, which was intended as a grand farewell, but they would go on to release more albums and reunite once again for five performances in 2021.
David Ball of Soft Cell performs at BBC Radio 2 In The Park 2023 at Victoria Park on September 16, 2023 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Luke Brennan/Getty Images)Getty Images
“Whenever we came back together after long periods apart there was always that warmth and chemistry,” Almond wrote. “There was a deep mutual respect that gave our combined songwriting 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.”
Soft Cell’s sixth and final studio album, Danceteria, will be released in spring 2026. It is fittingly named after the infamous New York nightclub which played host to Soft Cell’s Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret U.S. launch party and became renowned as the center of new wave music in early 80s New York.
Almond called the final album’s name “fitting.
“That was a time and place that really shaped us. As well as being quintessentially British, we always felt that we were also an honorary American band,” he wrote.
“We’ve been invested in the Soft Cell myths and stories, and ‘Danceteria’ will now stand as an album that brings everything full circle for us. I just wish that Dave could have stayed on long enough to celebrate our 50 years together in a couple of year’s time.”
The duo have sold more than ten million records worldwide.
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