The talented musician, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in 1984, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of synth-pop.
He later formed the innovative electronic act The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.
Health Struggles
At that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of health issues.
"I ended up injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."
Following catching pneumonia and developing sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for seven months.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for release next year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we actually finished only a short time ago," said the singer in a tribute.
"It's so sad as next year was all set to be such an positive year for him, and I take some solace from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.
"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the music you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "endless laughter" and "steadfast support".
"Forming a duo with someone is distinct from being in a band, the connection is incredibly close," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many remarkable, incredible, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Formative Years
Born into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.
He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his given name from his birth name to his adopted name, alongside his sibling Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.
Musical Partnership
The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.
Ball had cultivated a fascination with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to marry dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting millions of units globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, Human League and electronic acts, it helped cleared the path for the electronic music style of the 1980s.
The track was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the record up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at number two in 1982.
Professional Journey
Fame had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to afford my first home, having financial security and exploring, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a music magazine.
But it also presented challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could purchase substances to alleviate the boredom" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.
"I know that's a common saying, but it's a cliché for a good reason, because it works for so many bands."
Amidst 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 put out one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to concentrate on individual endeavors.
Almond went on to have a successful individual path, including the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a enduring collaboration.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further break, they returned in recent years, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the O2 Arena on 30 September, that year.
However, they remained together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.
Ball lately characterized the duo's upcoming release as a homage to the NYC nightlife they frequented while making their first two albums.
He added that his period in medical care had influenced the band's sound.
"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.
"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc had in the 80s."
The last versions were completed only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.
