Terry Hall, the lead singer of the Specials has died at the age of 63. The news of his death was confirmed by his bandmates in the Specials.

“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.

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They continued: “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 humor, the fight for justice, but mostly the love.”

“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’,” They concluded.

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The band asked for everyone to respect Hall’s family’s privacy.

Who was Terry Hall?

Terence Edward Hall, a.k.a. Terry Hall was an English musician and the lead singer of the Specials, formerly of Fun Boy Three, the Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and Vegas

 Hall was born on March 19, 1959, in Coventry, England. At the age of 12, Hall was abducted by a pedophile ring on a trip to France

He dropped out of school before turning 15 and took up various short-term jobs including bricklayer, quantity surveyor, and apprentice hairdresser.

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In 1970, he became an active member of the burgeoning Coventry music scene playing in a local punk band called Squad.  Initially, he was the frontman of Coventry Automatics in from 1977 to 78. It later went on to become the Specials in early 1979. Hall rose to prominence in 1979 when BBC Radio 1 played their debut single Gangsters on his show.

Later on, the band went on to release their debut studio album, The Specials, which also contained the hits like A Message to You Rudy and Too Much Too Young, which reached No 6 in the UK singles chart. They dominated the Top 10 over the next two years, peaking with their second No 1 single, Ghost Town, in 1981.

The band’s popularity peaked in the early summer of 1981 as riots broke out between young Black people and police across the UK after claims of racist discrimination and the use of stop-and-search tactics. 

Hall wasn’t part of a Specials reunion, the Specials Mk 2, which lasted from 1993 to 1998. He released his debut solo album in 1994, Home, and another called Laugh, was released in 1997.

Hall is survived by his wife, director Lindy Heymann. They had one son. Hall has two older sons with his ex-wife, Jeanette Hall.