Terry Hall of The Specials performs on stage during the Splendour in the Grass festival at Belongil Fields on July 25, 2009 in Byron Bay, Australia.
Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
Terry Hall, lead singer in British band The Specials, has died at the age of 63. The news was announced on Monday evening in a statement from his band. No cause of death was given, with the statement informing fans Hall passed after a brief illness.
"Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls," The Specials tweeted. "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. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and leaves behind the gift of his remarkable music and profound humanity."
The Specials are best known for their socially and politically alert 2 tone hits "Ghost Town," "Gangsters," and "Too Much Too Young."
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. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/qJHsI1oTwp
— The Specials (@thespecials) December 19, 2022
Hall left band in 1981 and formed Fun Boy Three with fellow-bandmates Neville Staple and Lynval Golding. In his own statement, Staples said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Hall's death.
“We knew Terry had been unwell but didn’t realise how serious until recently,” he wrote. “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.”
In addition to The Specials and Fun Boy Three, who released their self-titled debut LP in 1982 and 1983's Waiting before splitting, Hall also formed the Colourfield. That band released two albums, 1985’s Virgins and Philistines and 1987’s Deception. Hall's major influence was reflected in the wide variety of artists he collaborated with, a list including Sinéad O’Connor, Gorillaz, Tricky, Lily Allen, M.I.A. among others.
In 2008, the Specials reunited and went on to record two new albums together: 2019’s Encore and 2021’s Protest Songs 1924-2012.
The band asked for respect for Hall's family's privacy.