The talented musician, a key member of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has died at the age of 66.
Alongside singer Marc Almond, the team achieved a global success with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is regarded as a seminal work of electronic music.
He later founded the pioneering electronic act The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his rest at his residence in London on October 22, just weeks after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
At that show, Ball appeared in a mobility chair, as he had for the previous couple of years, following a spate of ill-health.
"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in a recent interview. "I broke spinal bones in my back and fractured about five ribs and fractured my wrist."
After catching pneumonia and suffering from sepsis, he was put in an induced coma and remained in hospital for half a year.
However, he had been in "high spirits emotionally" during the summer, as he worked on a fresh record with Almond, titled the upcoming Danceteria, which is set for release next year.
"He was focused and very pleased with the new album that we actually completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was all set to be such an positive time for him, and I take some solace from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Tributes
Almond described his bandmate as "an exceptionally talented musical genius", adding: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.
"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."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "endless laughter" and "unwavering friendship".
"Forming a duo with someone is different from joining a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.
"That's how it was with us. We experienced so many extraordinary, incredible, memorable moments together. Thank you, Dave."
Formative Years
Brought into the world into a single-parent household in Chester in 1959, Ball was given up for adoption when he was a year and a half of age.
He grew up in the seaside town with his new family his caregivers, who changed his given name from Paul to his adopted name, alongside his sibling his sister, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at an art college in 1977, where they were both studying art. Inspired by a mutual passion of Northern Soul, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and quickly produced an EP.
Musical Partnership
The pair were an unusual pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, hunched over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic performer, all sparkle and eye-liner; but they attained a unique musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing Kraftwerk perform on BBC science show a popular series, and began to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.
Their signature song became the UK's second biggest-selling song of the early 80s, shifting millions of copies worldwide. Alongside successful tracks by Gary Numan, Human League and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.
The song was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the record up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at the second position in 1982.
Professional Journey
Fame had its benefits. "I loved being able to afford my initial property, having money and exploring, which might seem like a beauty queen," Ball not long ago shared with a music magazine.
But it also presented problems. "Sudden riches meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.
"I realize that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it applies for so many bands."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the duo were also drifting apart, but they succeeded to create a second classic album - the unconventional, edgy and fittingly named The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out one more LP, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.
Almond went on to have a successful individual path, featuring the top 10 hit Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball formed The Grid, who combined acid house with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell came back together in the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.
After another hiatus, they returned in 2018, 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, that year.
Yet, they remained together, creating their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the 2020 restrictions.
Ball lately described the duo's new album as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their first two albums.
He added that his period in hospital had influenced the group's music.
"I experienced strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on pain medication," he explained to a music magazine.
"The new songs are a electronic representation of the noises in my head from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the experiences me and Marc got up to in the 1980s."
The final mixes were finished only a short time before Ball died. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.
