The talented musician, one half of the pioneering 1980s electronic music band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo achieved a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is considered a classic of synth-pop.
He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with 1994's Swamp Thing.
Ball died peacefully in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of health issues.
"I ended up damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured spinal bones in my back and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."
After contracting pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was put in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for seven months.
Nevertheless, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.
"He was focused and very pleased with the latest project that we literally completed only a few days ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond described his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", stating: "He was the heart and soul 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 gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.
"That was the case with us. We experienced so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming experiences as a team. Many thanks, Dave."
Formative Years
Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.
He was raised in Blackpool with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to his adopted name, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He encountered Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and quickly recorded an EP.
Musical Partnership
The duo were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved musician, hunched over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.
Ball had cultivated a interest with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of 1981, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Together with hits by other artists, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.
The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two further top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the record 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 exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.
But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could afford substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball said.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it applies for so many musicians."
During the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a second classic album - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out one more album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on other projects.
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 combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following another break, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was supposed to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.
However, they stayed active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball lately characterized the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.
He added that his time in medical care had shaped the group's music.
"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a music magazine.
"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."
The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.
