David Ball, co-founder and multi-instrumentalist of the influential English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66. According to a tribute posted on the band’s official Instagram, Ball “passed away peacefully in his sleep at his London home on Wednesday 22nd October.” Best known for the 1981 global hit, “Tainted Love” (a cover of Gloria Jones‘ 1964 love song), Ball crafted much of Soft Cell’s dark, pioneering synth-driven sound that helped define the genre alongside frontman Marc Almond’s distinctive vocals. The pair formed in 1979 and achieved lasting success with several albums and multiple UK Top 10 singles, including “Bedsitter,” “Torch,” “What!” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.”

The duo’s biggest hit, “Tainted Love,” reached No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart, and spent 43 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (peaking at No. 8), while selling an estimated 21 million copies worldwide. Despite health struggles since a 2023 spinal injury that caused him to perform in a wheelchair, Ball remained creatively active, recently completing Soft Cell’s final album, Danceteria, which is set for release in spring 2026. Almond paid affectionate tribute to Ball on the band’s website, referring to his longtime bandmate as a “wonderfully brilliant musical genius,” while calling him “the heart and soul of Soft Cell,” and adding, “I’m very proud of our legacy.” (Billboard)