Who was in Soft Cell? All about Marc Almond and Dave Ball as latter dies

English producer and electronic musician Dave Ball passed away at the age of 66 on October 22, 2025, at his home in London.

Reports stated that the musician had been facing health issues for several years. He was one half of the famous synth-pop duo Soft Cell.

The other member of the group was Marc Almond. He was the vocalist and the lyricist, while Ball was the instrumentalist and the producer. They rose to fame in the early 1980s with their hit track, Tainted Love.

Ball’s last live performance was held in August this year at the Rewind Festival in England. After Soft Cell dissolved in the mid-1980s, Ball formed the electronic dance group, The Grid, alongside Richard Norris in 1988. It became known for its hit track called, Swamp Thing.

Dave Ball started his career with Soft Cell as an electronic musician and producer. Here is more about the music duo who rocked the world.

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All you need to know about Dave Ball and Marc Almond

Dave Ball and Marc Almond’s duo, Soft Cell, has gained attention after the passing of Ball in October 2025. Ball passed away in his sleep peacefully a few weeks after performing at the Rewind Festival in England.

Born in 1959 in Chester, Ball was later adopted as an infant. He was the technical mastermind of his band, Soft Cell.

Almond took to his Instagram to share a tribute to his friend and bandmate. He shared one of his favorite photos on social media. Expressing his gratitude to his followers, Almond thanked his fans and friends for sending touching messages on his demise. He added that he would have replied to all, but he loved reading them and is trying to process things currently.

Born in 1956 in Southport to his parents, Sandra Mary Diesen and Peter John Sinclair Almond, Marc studied art and performance art at Leeds.

Soft Cell was formed in 1978 in Leeds, England, when Almond and Dave Ball met as students at Leeds Polytechnic.

When Music Radar spoke to Dave Ball in 2021, he shared about his time at the university. Describing their uniform, he told the outlet:

“Students had a particular look in the late-70s. When I walked through the doors of Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, all I could see was Levi’s and long hair. That was the standard uniform. Complete with a Yes tour T-shirt, bumfluff moustache and Dr. Marten boots.”

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He then described his first meeting with Marc and added how he stood out from the others. Ball recalled that he wore “gold lamé trousers and a leopard print top,” which made him look interesting. He said that Marc was the first person he spoke to.

However, it took a year for the duo to start working on their music. When they started their band, Soft Cell, it became one of the popular bands in England at that time. Their first debut album was titled Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. The critically acclaimed album included their biggest hit called, Tainted Love which topped the charts worldwide.

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