Rest in peace, Terry Hall...

Post Reply New Topic

Terry Hall, the lead singer of the legendary ska band the Specials and former member of Fun Boy Three and the Colourfield, has died, his bandmates in the Specials have confirmed. They broke the news on social media, writing, “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.” Hall was 63 years old.

Born Terence Edward Hall on March 19, 1959 in Coventry, England, he had a troubling childhood growing up. When he was 12, Hall was abducted by a teacher and brought to France for a pedophile ring. “[I was] sexually abused for four days, and then punched in the face and left on the roadside,” he told The Spectator in 2019. The experience was so traumatic that he kept it hidden from his parents (although he later addressed the experience in Fun Boy Three’s 1983 song “Well Fancy That!”). Hall suffered from manic depression and medicated heavily to deal with the effects, going so far as to take Valium as a 13-year-old. Before his 15th birthday, he left school to land whatever short-term jobs he could get: a bricklayer, an apprentice hairdresser, a quantity surveyor. Years later, he started to pursue music, playing in the local punk band Squad.

Hall recorded two albums with the band during its initial run, the 1979 debut The Specials and the 1980 sophomore LP More Specials, both of which would go on to become instant classics for two-tone and the evolving image of ska as a politically and socially conscious genre. Early singles like “Gangsters” (a reworking of Prince Buster’s “Al Capone”) and “A Message to You Rudy” became beloved hits, as did 1980 singles “Do Nothing” and “Stereotype.” It was the group’s 1981 single “Ghost Town,” however, that would intertwine the band with the history books for good, becoming the soundtrack to the 1981 England riots between young Black people and the police that summer in response to racial discrimination. Dammers’ lyrics about urban decay in Great Britain and recession struggles resonated with younger listeners. That year, “Ghost Town” held the No. 1 spot on the radio charts for three weeks and stayed in the Top 40 for 10 weeks.

Because the Specials railed against racism in their lyrics and fostered inclusive environments at their shows, neo-Nazis often targeted their concerts, prompting Hall to dive into the crowd to stop fights a number of times.

After the Specials’ biggest hit topped the charts, Hall left the band to start Fun Boy Three, his new wave project with Specials bandmates Lynval Golding and Neville Staple. They released their self-titled debut LP in 1982 and followed it up with Waiting, their sophomore album, the following year before disbanding. In 1984, Hall formed another new wave band titled the Colourfield, which released two albums: 1985’s Virgins and Philistines and 1987’s Deception. Additionally, Hall joined the bands Vegas and Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and released two solo albums. He would also go on to co-write the Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” and collaborate with a wide range of artists, including Sinéad O’Connor, Gorillaz, Tricky, Lily Allen, M.I.A., and Dub Pistols, among others.