The talented musician, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with singer Marc Almond, the duo scored a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is considered a classic of electronic music.
He subsequently founded the innovative electronic act The Grid, who achieved popular acclaim with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.
Ball died calmly in his rest 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.
Recent Health Challenges
During that performance, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the last two years, after a spate of health issues.
"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke spinal bones in my spine and cracked about multiple ribs and broke my arm."
After catching pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.
Nevertheless, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the summer, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called the upcoming Danceteria, which is scheduled for publication next year.
"He was concentrated and so happy with the latest project that we actually completed only a short time ago," said the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he heard the completed album and felt that it was a great piece of work."
Tributes
Almond described his collaborator as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our legacy.
"Thank you Dave for being an significant aspect of my existence and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without your influence."
Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, recalling Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".
"Forming a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is incredibly close," he continued.
"That's how it was with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, life-affirming moments as a team. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a one-parent family in 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 his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul 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 studying fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they established Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.
Creative Collaboration
The duo were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet musician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they achieved a unique musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a interest with electronic instruments after viewing the band Kraftwerk appear on a television program a popular series, and started to combine moody electronic sounds to the soaring melodies Almond was writing.
Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second most popular single of the early 80s, shifting 21 million copies globally. Alongside hits by other artists, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it helped paved the way for the electronic music style of the 1980s.
The song was also featured on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.
Career Highlights
Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball recently shared with a publication.
But it also caused challenges. "Sudden riches meant we could afford substances to alleviate the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball explained.
"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a valid cause, 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 unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They released one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group 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 melodic sounds over a long-lasting partnership.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in 2001, releasing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Following another hiatus, 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 large venue on September 30, that year.
However, they remained active, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball lately described the band's new album as a tribute to the New York club scene they visited while recording their first two albums.
He added that his period in hospital had shaped the group's music.
"I experienced unusual memories when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he told a publication.
"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from those days.
"In parallel, it's about the experiences we got up to in the 1980s."
The last versions were completed only days before Ball passed away. It is due for release in Spring 2026.
