The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their version of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.
He subsequently formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away peacefully 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 the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
At that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.
"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and fractured about multiple ribs and fractured my wrist."
Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in the hospital for seven months.
However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" over the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's so sad as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.
"Many thanks Dave for being an immense aspect of my existence and for the music you gave 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 distinct from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he continued.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."
Formative Years
Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.
He was raised in Blackpool with his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both learning art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an extended play.
Musical Partnership
The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a unique creative synergy.
Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and started to marry moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.
Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, selling millions of units globally. Alongside hits by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it contributed to paved the path for the electronic music style of the 80s.
The track was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which produced two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in the following year.
Career Highlights
Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my first home, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.
But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.
"I realize that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it works for so many musicians."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a follow-up 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 concentrate on individual endeavors.
Almond proceeded to have a successful individual path, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed acid house with melodic sounds over a enduring collaboration.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on 30 September, 2018.
However, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball lately characterized the duo's new album as a homage to the NYC nightlife they visited while making their first two albums.
He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the group's music.
"I had strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a music magazine.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the sounds in my head from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."
The last versions were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2026.
