The talented musician, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.
He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
During that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of ill-health.
"I ended up damage myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and cracked about multiple ribs and fractured my arm."
After catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.
Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.
"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally finished only a few days ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and believed that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.
"Thank you Dave for being an immense part of my life and for the music you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is very tight," he continued.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.
He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an EP.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.
Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of 1981, shifting millions of units worldwide. Together with successful tracks by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.
The track was also included on their full-length debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.
Professional Journey
Success had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having financial security and travelling, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.
But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase newfound drugs to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."
During the party-filled existence, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a second classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on individual endeavors.
Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a enduring partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell reunited in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
After another hiatus, they returned in recent years, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on September 30, that year.
However, they stayed active, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.
Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while making their initial records.
He added that his period in hospital had influenced the group's music.
"I had unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."
The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.
