Terry Hall Obituary, Death – The Specials’ Terry Hall has passed away at the age of 63. The Coventry two-tone and ska pioneers announced the news on Monday night. The band said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Terry, our dear friend and brother and one of the most gifted singers, songwriters, and lyricists this country has ever produced. “Terry was one of the most kind, hilarious, and honest people you could ever hope to meet. He was also a fantastic husband and father. His songs and performances captured everything that is essential to living: happiness, sadness, humor, the pursuit of justice, and most of all, love.
All those who knew and loved him will miss him dearly, but he leaves behind the legacy of his extraordinary music and his tremendous humanity. After The Specials’ upbeat concerts, Terry would typically say, “Three words…” before leaving the stage. There should be nothing but love in the world. Please keep the family’s privacy at heart during this difficult time. In a tweet, bandmate Neville Staples expressed his “great sadness” over Hall’s passing, writing, “We knew Terry had been unwell but didn’t realize how bad until recently.” We had just finalized several 2023 music deals with each other. I was seriously affected by this.
To that, he said, “In the music world, people have many ups and downs, but I will keep onto the great memories of Terry and I, making history fronting The Specials and Fun Boy three together. Terry Hall, rest in peace. Hall, Staple, Roddy Byers, and John Bradbury joined the group The Specials a year after its formation by Jerry Dammers, Lynval Golding, and Horace Panter in Coventry, Hall’s hometown, in 1977. The band’s name evolved from The Automatics to The Coventry Automatics to The Specials AKA The Automatics and then, in 1978, back to The Specials.
The band rose to fame in the early 1980s with their ska and rocksteady sound, which served as the musical background to the era’s economic downturn, urban deterioration, and social fragmentation. In 2009, The Specials went on tour in honor of their 30-year anniversary, and in 2018, they opened for The Rolling Stones in Coventry’s Ricoh Arena. Encore, The Specials’ first album of new material in 37 years, was released in February 2019. The album debuted at the top of the Official UK Album Chart upon its release, making history as the band’s first number-one album and their first time at the top of the chart since the success of their legendary hit Ghost Town in 1981 and their single Too Much Too Young in 1980, respectively.