Dave Ball (Soft Cell) dies aged 66, a legend is no more
Dave Ball (Soft Cell) (Photo via softcell.co.uk)
Electronic musician Dave Ball, co-founder of Soft Cell and later The Grid, died in his sleep at his home in London on 22 October 2025. He was 66. Ball is survived by close family, including four children.
In a reaction Marc Almond (Soft Cell) says that Ball was a âwonderfully brilliant musical geniusâ. The duo recently completed a new studio album, âDanceteria,â slated for spring 2026 via Republic of Music. Final mixes were completed days before Ballâs passing.
About Dave Ball
David James Ball was born on 3 May 1959 in Chester; and raised in Blackpool. He met Marc Almond while studying at the Fine art at Leeds Polytechnic.
Soft Cell formed at Leeds Polytechnic in 1979. The duoâs debut album âNon-Stop Erotic Cabaretâ (1981) became a UK platinum set. The single âTainted Loveâ topped the UK chart and reached No. 1 in multiple territories. 1982 offered âThe Art of Falling Apartâ followed by 1984âs âThis Last Night in Sodom.â The duo reunited for âCruelty Without Beautyâ (2002), and later for âHappiness Not Includedâ (2022) amid renewed touring, culminating in the newly completed âDanceteria.â Ballâs final performance with the band took place in August 2025, headlining Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.
After the duoâs initial split, Ball co-founded The Grid with Richard Norris, achieving a 1994 UK Top 3 hit with âSwamp Thing.â He also produced, co-wrote or remixed for artists including Kylie Minogue, David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys and Erasure.
A 6-CD super-deluxe reissue of âThe Art of Falling Apartâ is scheduled for 31 October 2025 (UMR/Mercury), alongside the âMartinâ EP via Republic of Music.
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