The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.
He subsequently founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Health Struggles
During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a spate of health issues.
"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my back and cracked about five ribs and fractured my wrist."
After contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for release next year.
"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.
"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Being in a partnership with someone is different from being in a group, the bond is very tight," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.
He grew up in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to David, together with his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an EP.
Musical Partnership
The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.
Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million units globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The track was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.
Career Highlights
Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.
But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."
Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to produce a follow-up classic album - the wayward, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released another album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.
Almond went on to have a prosperous solo career, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following another hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
However, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.
He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the group's music.
"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a publication.
"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from that time.
"In parallel, it's about the times we had in the 1980s."
The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.
