The talented musician, a key member of the pioneering 1980s electronic music duo Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their version of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a classic of synth-pop.
He subsequently founded the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured popular acclaim with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his sleep at his home in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Health Struggles
During that performance, 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 stated in 2023. "I fractured spinal bones in my spine and fractured about multiple ribs and broke my arm."
After catching a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and stayed in the hospital for seven months.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" over the summer, as he worked on a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.
"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually finished only a short time ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as 2026 was completely planned to be such an uplifting time for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant creative mastermind", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our legacy.
"Many thanks 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."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Being in a partnership with someone is distinct from being in a group, the bond is very tight," he added.
"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, incredible, memorable moments as a team. Thank you, Dave."
Formative Years
Born into a single-parent household in the city of Chester in 1959, Ball was given 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 first name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister his sister, who was also adopted.
He encountered Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in 1977, where they were both studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly recorded an extended play.
Musical Partnership
The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the reserved musician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all glitter and eye-liner; but they achieved a rare creative synergy.
Ball had developed a fascination with electronic instruments after viewing Kraftwerk appear on BBC science show Tomorrow's World, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the catchy tunes Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the UK's second most popular song of 1981, shifting millions of copies globally. Together with successful tracks by other artists, Human League and electronic acts, it helped paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 1980s.
The song was also included on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the stand-alone single, Torch, which reached at the second position in 1982.
Professional Journey
Fame had its upsides. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently shared with a publication.
But it also presented problems. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and TV performances, Ball explained.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a truism for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."
Amidst the party-filled existence, the duo were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a second memorable record - the wayward, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the band to focus on other projects.
Almond proceeded to have a successful solo career, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
After another hiatus, they returned in 2018, releasing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a final performance at the large venue on 30 September, 2018.
However, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.
Ball lately described the duo's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they frequented while making their first two albums.
He added that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.
"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of hospital because I was on pain medication," he told a publication.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my mind from that time.
"Simultaneously, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 80s."
The last versions were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2026.
