The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of synth-pop.
He later founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
At that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.
"I managed to injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."
Following contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for half a year.
Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.
"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.
"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond referred to his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.
"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I couldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a partnership with someone is different from being in a band, the connection is very tight," he added.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."
Formative Years
Brought into the world into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.
He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his first name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling Susan, who was similarly welcomed.
He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly recorded an EP.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.
Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Their signature song became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling 21 million units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.
The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.
Career Highlights
Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.
But it also presented challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.
"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many bands."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a second classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out another LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.
Almond proceeded to have a prosperous solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further hiatus, they returned in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
Yet, they remained active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.
He added that his time in hospital had shaped the group's music.
"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a publication.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences we had in the 1980s."
The last versions were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.
