The talented musician, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band 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' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a classic of synth-pop.
He subsequently founded the innovative techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away peacefully in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in the Thames-side town.
Health Struggles
During that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a period of ill-health.
"I managed to injure myself significantly," he stated in a recent interview. "I fractured lower vertebrae in my back and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."
Following contracting pneumonia and suffering from blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "high spirits mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a fresh record with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication next year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's so sad as 2026 was completely planned to be such an positive year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and believed that it was a great piece of work."
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 legacy.
"Many thanks Dave for being an significant aspect of my life and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Forming a partnership with someone is distinct from joining a band, the connection is very tight," he added.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Thank you, Dave."
Early Life
Brought into the world into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was given up for adoption when he was 18 months old.
He was raised in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who altered his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a mutual passion of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and quickly produced an extended play.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a rare creative synergy.
Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of 1981, shifting millions of units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the way for the electronic music style of the 80s.
The song was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.
Professional Journey
Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently told with a publication.
But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the monotony" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.
"I realize 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 succeeded to produce a second memorable record - the wayward, tense and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released one more album, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to concentrate on individual endeavors.
Almond went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a enduring partnership.
Later Work and Comebacks
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following another hiatus, they reappeared in recent years, 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.
Yet, they stayed active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.
Ball recently characterized the band's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their initial records.
He added that his time in hospital had influenced the band's sound.
"I experienced unusual memories when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.
"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my mind from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the times we got up to in the 1980s."
The last versions were finished only days before Ball died. It is scheduled for release in the spring of 2026.
