The lead singer of The Specials, Terry Hall, has died at 63 after a brief illness, his bandmates have confirmed.
The former member of the Fun Boy Three and the Colourfield experienced a horrific incident in his childhood but went on to become one of the most defining voices of the 1970s and 1980s.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing, following a brief illness, of Terry, our beautiful friend, brother and one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced,” the band tweeted.
His cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
Probably one of the best British singles of all time. RIP Terry Hall. pic.twitter.com/kWiLrwXcOR
— David Renshaw (@ddavidrenshaw) December 19, 2022
Who was Terry Hall?
Terry Hall was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, in 1959, to a working class family who worked in the then booming car industry.
He gave a nod to his home county in the song Friday Night Saturday Morning, which describes a night out in Coventry’s Locarno nightclub.
His childhood took a dark turn at age 12, when a teacher took him to France, where he was kidnapped and sexually abused by a paedophile ring.
We are very sad to hear of the passing of Terry Hall the lead singer of @thespecials
— UB40 (@UB40OFFICIAL) December 20, 2022
Another one gone too soon!
RIP Terry#terryhall #rip pic.twitter.com/P0n9InMVpu
The ordeal affected Hall deeply: he became addicted to Valium and later dropped out of school at the age of 14.
The incident left him with life-long depression, and Hall admitted: “I didn’t go to school, I didn’t do anything. I just sat on my bed rocking for eight months.”
He later found solace in music and played in a local punk band called Squad before becoming the frontman of the Coventry Automatics later known as The Specials.
The protest soundtrack to our youth & the blueprint of our band.
— Massive Attack (@MassiveAttackUK) December 20, 2022
Rest in power Terry Hall. pic.twitter.com/tBiXvhwlil
The Specials success
The band built their reputation locally before rising to national prominence when Radio 1’s John Peel played their debut single, Gangsters, on his show.
Following the positive response Gangsters received, they released their studio album, The Specials.
It featured hits such as A Message to You Rudy and Too Much Too Young. The multi-racial band’s musical inspiration largely came from Jamaican ska, popular among Britain’s West Indian communities.
They also became a prominent voice during the turbulent Thatcher years, with their hit Ghost Town spending three weeks at number one and 10 weeks in the top 40 of the UK singles chart.
Fun Boy Three and the Coverfield
Hall left the Specials and formed his own band alongside the Specials’ bandmates Lynval Golding and Neville Staple. They produced hits such as The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum), It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It), Tunnel of Love and Our Lips Are Sealed.
Hall later formed the Colourfield, whose hits included the single Thinking of You.
Neville Staple, Hall’s bandmate in the Specials and Fun Boy Three, said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of his death.
Staple wrote: “We knew Terry had been unwell but didn’t realise how serious until recently. We had only just confirmed some 2023 joint music agreements together. This has hit me hard and must be extremely difficult for Terry’s wife and family.
“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,” continued the band’s statement.
