The talented musician, one half of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release 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 calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.
Recent Health Challenges
At that performance, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.
"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my wrist."
Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.
However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.
"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.
"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the music you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a duo with someone is different from joining a group, the connection is very tight," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, life-affirming experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.
He was raised in the seaside town with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.
Musical Partnership
The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and makeup; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound 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 separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in the following year.
Professional Journey
Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.
But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."
Amidst the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on other projects.
Almond went on to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following another hiatus, they returned in recent years, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.
However, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball recently described the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while recording their initial records.
He noted that his period in medical care had influenced the band's sound.
"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."
The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.
