Terry Hall

2022 - 12 - 19

Post cover — Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Terry Hall of The Specials dies aged 63 (BBC News)

His distinctively dour voice can be heard on hits like Ghost Town, Gangsters and Too Much, Too Young.

I spent the time trying to figure out how not to die." I wasn't comfortable with any of them so I became the singer." "He worked in a stamp shop" the musician told Mojo magazine. "I was abducted, taken to France and sexually abused for four days," he told The Spectator in 2019. "They didn't seem like they could play very well either, so the thing was to form a band then work it out. "When we picked up a gold disc for Ghost Town, I felt really bad about it," he said. "His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life… "I spent around three months trying to figure out what was going on. If you have a story suggestion email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). "We fronted The Specials and Fun Boy Three together, making history. I just sat on my bed rocking for eight months." "And then punched in the face and left on the roadside."

Terry Hall: lead singer of the Specials dies aged 63 (The Guardian)

Having survived a tough childhood in Coventry, Hall became one of pop's defining voices at the turn of the 80s, chronicling British decline and ...

“It felt like a vindication of everything the band had set out to do,” Hall said. And a gorgeous, kind, down to earth man.” Badly Drawn Boy called him [“a musical hero”](https://twitter.com/badly_drawn_boy/status/1604973753099816965), while [Sleaford Mods](https://twitter.com/sleafordmods) said Hall was “King of the Suedeheads. [Rowetta](https://twitter.com/Rowetta) remembered him as “one of the greatest frontmen from one of the greatest bands. “The Specials was this big hole which took up four years of my life,” Hall would form another band, the Colourfield, in 1984, which had a hit with Thinking of You. “It felt like the perfect moment to stop the Specials part one,” Hall said. So there’s always been a bit of that kicking around in the back of my mind. “Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. I always admired and envied his sweep of the pen”, while It remained at No 1 for three weeks, spending 10 weeks in the Top 40, and is widely considered one of the greatest pop records of all time. They released their debut single, Gangsters (a reworking of Prince Buster’s Al Capone) in 1979, which reached No 6 in the UK singles chart. Hall joined the first incarnation of the Specials – then called the Automatics – shortly after the Coventry band formed in 1977, replacing vocalist Tim Strickland.

The Specials' Terry Hall has died, aged 63 (NME.com)

Taking to social media, the ska icons shared that the influential singer had passed away from a “brief illness” aged 63, as well as honouring him as “a ...

I’m in shock that one of my favourite singer songwriters, Terry Hall has passed away. [@tonicmusicmh]with [@libertines]where Terry Hall was a patron & campaigner recently. He was such a lovely bloke. Have a look at a handful of those tributes below: [Christine ‘Sugary’ Staple] was called as we arrived in Egypt. [Tonic](https://www.tonicmusic.co.uk), a UK-based mental health charity that operates two bespoke programmes: the Tonic Rider, which offers “training and support for music industry professionals”, and the Recovery Through Music initiative, offering “safe and supportive environments for people to come together, make music, be creative, and make social connections”. [the 2010 NME Award](https://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-3810-1301241) for Outstanding Contribution To Music. [a 2019 cover story](https://www.nme.com/big-reads/big-read-specials-encore-saffiyah-khan-2019-2472739) for NME, Hall joked that his motivation for being in a band was “to piss people off”. Hall remained active with The Specials into this year, with their last show together taking place at Escot Park in Devon on August 20. In the intervening years before his reunion with The Specials, Hall performed with groups like the Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Vegas, and Terry, Blair & Anouchka. Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. They honoured him as “a beautiful friend, brother and one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced”.

Terry Hall dead: The Specials announce death of lead singer aged 63 (Metro)

The Specials' lead singer Terry Hall has died aged 63, his bandmates have confirmed. The reggae group, famed for their many hits, including Rat Race and Too ...

The Specials were one of the most important bands for me as a kid. Terry often left the stage at the end of The Specials’ life-affirming shows with three words… ‘Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. The statement concluded: ‘He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and leaves behind the gift of his remarkable music and profound humanity. His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life… Boy George added: ‘Very sad to hear about Terry Hall!

The Specials lead singer Terry Hall dies age 63 after 'brief illness' as ... (Mirror.co.uk)

Ska group The Specials announced the news of singer Terry Hall's death in an emotional tribute on their official Twitter page tonight.

RIP Terry Hall and thanks for all the brilliance." "And a gorgeous, kind, down to earth man. Terry Hall Forever." "Have always been a fan. His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life… Colourfield." "Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. Cheers #terryhall for a hundred happy memories x." RIP Terry." The Specials made a name with their ska and rocksteady style, and for providing a musical backdrop to economic recession, urban decay and societal fracture in the early 1980s. "One of the greatest frontmen from one of the greatest bands," Happy Mondays star Rowetta began her tribute with this evening, as she shared a video of the late star performing. The band were originally called The Automatics, before changing their name to The Coventry Automatics, The Specials AKA The Automatics and finally, in 1978, settling on The Specials.

Singer Terry Hall dies aged 63 following brief illness (Telegraph.co.uk)

Hall has been remembered as 'one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls'

In 2009 he reflected on the performance, saying: "Bestival was a trial run. "Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls. Terry often left the stage at the end of The Specials' life-affirming shows with three words... I grew up aligned to a party, the Labour Party, quite strongly. "He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and leaves behind the gift of his remarkable music and profound humanity. His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life...