• READ MORE: Tributes after death of electronic music producer and pioneer
• See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source

Soft Cell star David Ball has bequeathed £2.5million to be shared between his four children after the synthesiser player and music producer's death aged 66.

His arrangement was acclaimed as crucial to the success of his band's chart-topping cover of Gloria Jones's Tainted Love in 1981, with Marc Almond on vocals.

Now probate records have revealed he left an estate valued at £2,516,485.

He died last October just days after completing a final album with Almond, 69.

The will says his son James Ball and daughter Victoria Ball each take 30 per cent shares, with 20 per cent apiece for daughter Georgina Alderson and son Elliott Stratford Ball.

David Ball also left a bequest of £25,000, free of all taxes, to David Chambers, described in the will as his friend.

His estate was valued at £3,359,276 in total before deductions, with the difference of £842,791 accounted for by debts and other liabilities set against it.

Ball formed Soft Cell with singer Almond in 1978 after they met as students at Leeds Polytechnic.

Dave Ball, electronic musician in Soft Cell, died aged 66 last October (pictured, left, with bandmate Marc Almond, right in 2021) - details of his will have now been revealed

Marc Almond (left) and Dave Ball (right) topped the UK singles chart in 1981 with their band Soft Cell's cover of Tainted Love - originally recorded in 1964 by Gloria Jones

Their cover of Gloria Jones's Tainted Love topped the UK chart in 1981 and they followed it with singles such as Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

Ball later formed the dance act The Grid with fellow producer Richard Norris.

Born in Chester in 1959 and raised in Blackpool, he signed his will in December 2022 - the same year he suffered a fall at his London home.

The injury left him with lasting back problems and he performed in a wheelchair at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, in August 2025 - his final gig.

He completed a seventh Soft Cell album, called Danceteria, with Almond in the days before his death, with the record due for release next month.

Almond, who worked alongside him for 46 years, paid tribute to a 'wonderfully brilliant musical genius' and said he would not be where he was without him.

A statement on the band's website described Ball as a 'gregarious, warm-hearted man of many musical talents', while his record label BMG said few artists had shaped electronic music as he had.

Ball left instructions in his will that he wanted to be cremated.

Ball was part of Soft Cell's story for almost 50 years, forming the band with Almond in 1978 (Ball and Almond pictured in 1978)

Marc Almond and Dave Ball performing on music programme 'The Tube' in 1982

The executors of his estate were two employees of a London-based accountancy firm.

In 1983, Ball released his first solo album, named In Strict Tempo, while also working on the soundtrack for the West German film Decoder, released the following year.

Ball also worked as a producer, songwriter and remixer with artists including Kylie Minogue, David Bowie and the Pet Shop Boys.

Following Ball's death last October, Soft Cell manager Chris Smith said of his final months: 'I have never seen Dave so prolific, animated or energised about the future and that's why this news comes as such a shock.

'He and Marc have both been so excited about the new Soft Cell album, which was only finished a few days ago.

'They were planning a major tour for 2026, and since they reunited seven years ago to sell out The O2, they have been on such a consistent, upward trajectory.

'Dave was a genial, larger-than-life character and a quiet, understated genius of electronic music with a wicked and unique sense of humour.

'He was respected by his peers and I will miss him immensely, but I'm also really happy he got to see how loved he was in the most recent stages of his long career.'

After an amicable split in 1984, Soft Cell reformed in 2000 for a series of shows (the pair pictured in 2001)

Soft Cell manager Chris Smith said Ball (pictured) was a 'genial, larger-than-life character and a quiet, understated genius of electronic music with a wicked and unique sense of humour'

Almond posted online: '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.

'It's so sad as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work. Dave's music is better than ever.

'His tunes and hooks are still unmistakably Soft Cell, yet he always took it to the next level too.

'He was a wonderfully brilliant musical genius and the pair of us have been on a journey together for almost 50 years.

'In the early days we were obnoxious and difficult, two belligerent art students who wanted to do things our way, even if it was the wrong way. We were naive and made mistakes, although we never really saw them as such.

'It was all just a part of the adventure. Dave and I were always a bit chalk and cheese, but maybe that's why the chemistry between us worked so well.'

Almond's tribute continued: 'Whenever we came back together after long periods apart there was always that warmth and chemistry. There was a deep mutual respect that gave our combined song-writing its unique power.

'We laughed a lot, and shared a sense of humour, and a love of film, books and music. Dave had shelves full of books and an array of wonderful and surprising musical references.

This picture of Dave Ball was released when his death aged 66 was announced last October

'He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.'

The duo went on to release The Art Of Falling Apart in 1983, which featured the hit singles Where The Heart Is and Numbers, and 1984's This Last Night In Sodom - before splitting a month after the latter's release.

Soft Cell reunited in 2000 for a run of live shows and a mini tour, before releasing their fourth album Cruelty Without Beauty in 2002 and in 2005 a compilation of early demos called The Bedsit Tapes.

They returned again in 2018 for what was billed as a final reunion UK concert at The O2 in London and in 2022 released fifth studio album Happiness Not Included, having returned to gigging the previous year.