Dave Ball, the multi-instrumentalist who, along with singer Marc Almond, rose to fame as the ’80s synth pop group Soft Cell, has passed away.
His death was confirmed on the Soft Cell website, which reported he “passed away peacefully in his sleep at his London home” on Wednesday. He was 66.
“He was a wonderfully brilliant musical genius and the pair of us have been on a journey together for almost 50 years,” Almond writes in a tribute on the website. “He will always be loved by the Soft Cell fans who love his music, and his music and memory will live on.”
He adds, “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 and Almond formed Soft Cell in 1979 when they were both students at Leeds Polytechnic. They released their debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, in 1981. It included their breakthrough hit “Tainted Love,” which was a top-10 hit in the U.S., and hit #1 in the U.K. and 17 other countries.
After splitting in 1984, Ball and Almond reunited several times, including in 2018 when they played a show at the O2 Arena in London, which they said would their last U.K. gig. But it sparked a resurgence, and they continued to tour and release albums.
According to the post on the Soft Cell site, they had been back in the studio working on a new album, Danceteria, which will be their sixth and now final release. Their last show together happened at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames, England, in August.
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