Dave Ball, the musician behind the iconic synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66, the band has announced. He passed away on Wednesday, just days after he and bandmate Marc Almond completed their final Soft Cell album.
Marc Almond, 68, paid tribute to Ball, describing him as a 'wonderfully brilliant musical genius'. In a statement, 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…'
Soft Cell formed in the late 1970s and rose to prominence in the 1980s as pioneers of synth-pop. They are best known for hits such as 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye', 'Torch', and their iconic cover of Gloria Jones's 'Tainted Love'. The duo split in 1984 but reformed in 2001 for a new album and tour.
In 2018, they performed a reunion concert, which was initially billed as their last UK performance, but they later toured in 2021 to mark 40 years of their album 'Non Stop Erotic Cabaret'. They also performed at BBC Radio 2's Live In The Park in September 2023 and headlined Oxfordshire's Rewind Festival in August 2024.
Earlier this year, it was announced that their sixth studio album, 'Danceteria', would be released in spring 2026. Before his death, Ball expressed excitement about the new album, describing it as inspired by their London and New York experiences in the early '80s.
