The talented musician, one half of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.
He subsequently formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with 1994's the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames.
Recent Health Challenges
During that show, Ball performed in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a spate of health issues.
"I managed to injure myself quite a bit," he commented in a recent interview. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my arm."
Following catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and remained in hospital for half a year.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the warmer months, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for release in the coming year.
"He was concentrated and very pleased with the latest project that we literally finished only a short time ago," said the vocalist in a tribute.
"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and believed that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond referred to his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.
"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the songs you created with me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, shared his condolences, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a duo with someone is distinct from being in a group, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, incredible, life-affirming experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
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 his new family Donald and Brenda Ball, who changed his first name from his birth name to David, together with his sibling his sister, who was similarly welcomed.
He encountered Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both studying fine arts. Inspired by a mutual passion of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an unusual combination: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they attained a rare creative synergy.
Ball had cultivated a fascination with electronic instruments after watching Kraftwerk appear on a television program Tomorrow's World, and started to marry dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of the early 80s, selling 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it contributed to cleared the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The song was also included on their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.
Professional Journey
Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my first home, having money and exploring, which might seem like a Miss World," Ball not long ago shared with a publication.
But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches allowed we could afford newfound drugs to relieve the boredom" of press appearances and television shows, Ball explained.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many bands."
Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also growing distant, but they managed to create a follow-up classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled 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 went on to have a prosperous individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following a further break, they reappeared in recent years, releasing the new tracks 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, that year.
However, they remained active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball lately described the band's upcoming release as a homage to the New York club scene they visited while making their first two albums.
He noted that his period in medical care had shaped the group's music.
"I had unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.
"Our latest tracks are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from that time.
"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."
The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is due for launch in the spring of 2026.
