The talented musician, one half of the pioneering 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a seminal work of synth-pop.
He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.
Health Struggles
At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, after a period of health issues.
"I managed to damage myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my wrist."
After catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for half a year.
Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication in the coming year.
"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally finished only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.
"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, memorable experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."
Formative Years
Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months old.
He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who altered his given name from Paul to David, alongside his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.
He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly produced an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.
Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting millions of units globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.
Career Highlights
Success had its benefits. "I enjoyed being able to afford my initial property, having money and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.
But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball said.
"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to create a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.
Almond proceeded to have a prosperous individual path, including the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
After another hiatus, they reappeared in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.
Yet, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.
Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.
He noted that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.
"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.
"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 80s."
The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.
