R.I.P. Terry Hall of The Specials
Terry Hall, singer and founding member of legendary second wave ska band The Specials, has died, according to a post from the group’s social media. He was 63.
The group said in a series of tweets, “Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life… the joy, the pain, the humour, the fight for justice, but mostly the love.”
They continued: “He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and leaves behind the gift of his remarkable music and profound humanity. Terry often left the stage at the end of The Specials’ life-affirming shows with three words…“Love Love Love”
Hall joined The Coventry Automatics in 1977 with Jerry Dammers, Lynval Golding, drummer Silverton Hutchinson and bassist Horace Panter. The group changed their name to The Special AKA shortly thereafter, and released their debut single “Gangsters” shortly before changing their name again to, simply, The Specials. The group released their self-titled debut in 1979, which included their hit single “A Message to You, Rudy.”
He recorded a second album with The Specials during their early run, the second being 1980’s More Specials, and in 1981 they released “Ghost Town,” which became one of the band’s signature songs, as well as a commentary on urban decay.
Hall formed Fun Boy Three with Golding and Neville Staple after leaving The Specials, releasing two albums, FB3 and Waiting. After their split within two years, Hall then formed the sophisti-pop group The Colour Field. In 2008, The Specials reunited after more than two decades, and in 2019 they released Encore, which released number one on the UK Albums Chart, making it the highest charting record released by the band.