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London – The death of Terry Hall, the musician who helped create post-punk Britain’s defining sound as lead singer of The Specials. He is 63 years old.
The band announced late Monday that Hall had passed away after a short illness. It called him “our beautiful friend, brother and one of the greatest singer-songwriters and lyricists this country has ever seen.”
Hall joined what would become The Specials in the central English city of Coventry in the late 1970s, a time of racial tension, economic downturn and urban unrest. With its mix of black and white members and its Jamaican-influenced crisp suits and crew neck hats, the band became a leader in the anti-racism 2 Tone ska revival.
Hall’s deadpan vocals set the tone, and The Specials captured the unease of the moment on songs like “A Message to You, Rudy,” “Rat Race,” and “Too Much Too Young.”
The band’s most iconic song is the brooding, sinister “Ghost Town,” which topped the UK music charts in the summer of 1981 when riots broke out in British cities.
The Specials had seven UK Top 10 hits before Hall and fellow bandmates Neville Staple and Lynval Golding left in 1981 to form Fun Boy Three. It scored hits including “It Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It)” and “The Tunnel of Love”.
Hall later formed The Colourfield and collaborated with artists including The Go-Go’s on the group’s 1981 debut single, “Our Lips Are Sealed.”
Go-Go guitarist Jane Wiedlin remembers Hall as “a lovely, sensitive, talented and unique individual”.
“Our extremely short romance resulted in the song ‘Our Lips Are Shut’ that will forever bond us in music history. So sad to hear,” she tweeted.
Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello also offered his condolences, saying, “Terry’s voice was the perfect instrument for the authentic and necessary songs in ‘The Specials.'” Among his many joys and sorrows This honesty can be heard in every song. “
Most of the original Specials reunited in 2008, went on a 30th anniversary tour in 2009 and released an album of new material ‘Encore’ in 2019, which became the band’s first UK number one album. The follow-up “Protest Songs 1924-2012” will be released in 2021.
Hall’s bandmates said he was “an amazing husband and father, and one of the kindest, funniest, most genuine human beings. His music and performances distilled the essence of life…joy, pain, humor, Fight for justice, but mostly love.
“He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and will leave behind his extraordinary gift of music and profound humanity. Terry would often leave the stage at the end of The Specials’ life-affirming shows saying three words…’Love love love.'”
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