The talented musician, a key member of the groundbreaking 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their version 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 subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with 1994's Swamp Thing.
Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Recent Health Challenges
At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of health issues.
"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."
Following contracting a lung infection and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and stayed in hospital for seven months.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.
"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we literally finished only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond referred to 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 part of my life and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "steadfast support".
"Forming a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he added.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences as a team. Thank you, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.
He grew up in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a shared love of Northern Soul, they established Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.
Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk perform on BBC program a popular series, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting 21 million copies worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.
The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two further high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They continued the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.
Professional Journey
Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.
But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.
"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many musicians."
Amidst the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.
Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who mixed dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, producing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
After another break, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, that year.
Yet, they stayed together, creating their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.
Ball recently characterized the band's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while recording their first two albums.
He noted that his time in hospital had influenced the group's music.
"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the times we got up to in the 80s."
The final mixes were finished only days before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.
