Marc Almond announced on his website the passing of David Ball, expressing his sorrow over the loss of his “wonderful and brilliant” friend: “It’s hard to write this and even harder to process, but it is with the greatest sadness that I share the news that the other half of Soft Cell, the wonderful and brilliant musical genius David Ball, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday night [to Wednesday].” David Ball was 66 years old.
The death of David Ball comes about two months after his final live performance at the Rewind Festival, just days after completing the next Soft Cell album, ‘Danceteria,’ which is slated for release in spring 2026.
Almond reported that David Ball had been ill for a long time, and his health was slowly deteriorating. However, “he always returned with a determined spirit to continue his work in the studio,” and although he wasn’t able to travel extensively, he could still perform in the UK.
The last Soft Cell concert took place in August at the Rewind Festival in Henley, attended by 20,000 people. The BBC recalls that David Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had done in other concerts in recent years, following “a series of health issues.”
After this final performance, David Ball was “elated and very excited,” described Almond on his website. “We agreed to expand the ‘Soft Cell family,’ and he always supported the concerts and festivals he couldn’t attend; he was always present in some way. His live role was taken over by Philip Larsen, co-producer and friend, but the music and pre-production remained Dave’s work, it was his essence that the audience heard.”
“It’s heartbreaking, especially now, because Dave was in a good emotional state, focused and happy with the new album, ‘Danceteria,’ which we had completed just days ago. I listened to the album for the first time yesterday [Wednesday]. It deeply saddens me because it would have been an incredible year for him,” lamented Almond.
In the lengthy farewell message, Almond stated that they were “like oil and water”—and that their differences made them work well together.
Almond, who saw Ball as “the heart of Soft Cell,” concluded the message by thanking him for the music and for being “a huge part” of his life.
“I wish he had stayed a little longer to celebrate the duo’s 50 years. He will always be loved by the fans. It’s a cliché to say this, but his music lives on: somewhere in the world, at any moment, someone is listening, playing, dancing, or enjoying a Soft Cell song, even if it’s just that two-and-a-half-minute epic,” wrote Marc Almond.
David Ball grew up in Blackpool, England, after being given up for adoption at 18 months. He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they both studied art.
That same year, they formed Soft Cell and shortly after recorded their first EP, ‘Mutant Moments,’ released in 1980.
A year later, from the album ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret,’ the single ‘Tainted Love’ was released, which sold 21 million copies worldwide.
Among the duo’s many hits are ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye,’ ‘Torch,’ ‘Purple Zone,’ and ‘Sex Dwarf’.
Ball was also part of the techno duo The Grid, which took ‘Swamp Thing’ to the UK Top 10. His bandmate from that era, Richard Norris, also reacted to Ball’s passing, recalling the “endless laughter” and “unbreakable friendship.”
“Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is much stronger. That’s what happened with us,” he added.
