Table Of Contents
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
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Chapter one
TerryHallofTheSpecialsdiesaged63. Known for his dour look and biting humour, the singer gained prominence in the 1970s and 80s with classics likeGhost Town, Gangsters, and Too Much Too Young.
HedepartedTheSpecialsin1981tocreate Fun Boy Three with fellow bandmates Neville Staple and Lynval Golding, earninganotherrunofsingles.
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The singer died after a short illness, The Specialsconfirmedinastatement.
"Terry was a fantastic husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most honestpeople,"theysaid.
"His music and his performances embodied the very essence of life the pleasure, the anguish, the humour, the battleforjustice,butprimarilythelove."
"He will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him, and he leaves us the gift of his wonderful music and genuine compassion."
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He had learned of his friend's demise when he arrived in Egypt for a trip with hiswife.
"It really struck me hard," he added. "We fronted The Specials and Fun Boy Three together,creatinghistory."
"Terry,heundoubtedlywillbemissed."
Jane Wiedlin, co-founder of the band The Go Gos, who co-wrote the band's song
``Our Lips Are Sealed" with Hall, said he was a "beautiful, sensitive, brilliant, and unusualguy."
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"Our relatively short affair culminated in the song Our Lips Are Sealed, which will eternallyconnectusinmusichistory."
SingerElvisCostelloregardedHall'svoice as "the ideal instrument for the honest and essentialsongsonTheSpecials."
"That honesty is heard in so many of his songs, in pleasure and sadness," he remarked.
The band appealed for respect for Hall's family's privacy. No reason for death was shared.
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HisAbduction
The guitarist was born in 1959 and raised in Coventry, where most of his family worked in the city's then-booming automobilesector. But his life took a terrible turn when, at the age of 12, he was abducted by a teacher.
"I was kidnapped, hauled to France, and sexually molested for four days," he told TheSpectatorin2019."Andthenstruckin thefaceandabandonedonthehighway."
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Hall claimed the experience left him with lifelong despair and prompted him to drop out of school at theageof14,aftergetting addictedtotheValiumhehadbeengiven.
"I didn't go to school;
didn't do anything." "I basically sat on my bed rockingforeightmonths."
Music offered some type of relief; and
Hall joined a local punk band named Squad, gaining his first compositioncredit ontheirtuneRedAlert.
He was seen by The Specials' Jerry Dammers, who recruited him as a frontmanbyusingahorriblejoke.
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"He worked at a stamp store," the musician told Mojo magazine. "I warned him,'Philatelywillgetyounowhere.'"
When the band acquired a frightening live reputation at home, theysoaredtonational notoriety after Radio 1's John Peel featured their first song, Gangsters, on his broadcast.
The song, a homage to Prince Buster'sska hit AlCapone,launchedthebandandtheir record company, 2-Tone, as a prominent forceinBritishmusic.
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They were a multi-racial ensemble, chronicling the volatile Thatcher years by performing songs directly indebted to Jamaican ska, a pre-reggae style that remained popular in Britain's West Indian community.
The Specials in 1979 Top row (L-R): Neville Staple, John Bradbury, Lynval
Golding, and Jerry Dammers. Front row (L-R): Horace Panter, Terry Hall, and RoddyRadiation. But Hall, never one for exaggeration, claimed the band's popularity was almost an unintended by-product of the punk movement.
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"When I watched the Pistols and The Clash, I realized it didn't look that tough," he told The Big Issue. "They didn'tappear like they could play very well either, so the objective was to establish a band and thensortitout."
"We didn't even know who was going to play what; we passed around all the instruments until we discovered what we werecomfortablewith."
"I wasn't comfortable with anyofthem,so Ibecamethevocalist."
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Nonetheless, the band rode an amazing wave of fame, recording seven consecutive top-10 songs between 1979 and1981.
That phase culminated with 1981's Ghost Town, a hypnotic, ominous tune that appeared to foresee and then soundtrack that summer's riots on the streets of London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham, a reaction to the police's use ofstop-and-searchmethods.
Hall says his political enlightenment occurred in his teenage years, "when I
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realized that working men's clubs had a colourbanontheirdoors."
"That truly upset me," he replied, and he vowedtotakeastance.
"When you witness injustice, all you can do is think: what can I do to assist? What can I say about this? How can I make othersawareofthis?"
The band separated in 1981, following which Hall, Golding, and Staple went on to create Fun Boy Three, while Dammers and Bradburyrecordedanalbumunderthe
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aliasTheSpecialAKA,whichfeaturedthe hittrackFreeNelsonMandelain1984.
Fun Boy Three produced four UK top 10 singles during their time together before Hall departed the band in1983tojoinThe Colourfield with ex-Swinging Cats
membersTobyLyonsandKarlShale.
After doing a range of solo and collaborative ventures Hall worked with the likes of Lily Allen it was revealed in 2008 that The Specials would be regrouping for a handful of tour dates and possiblynewsongs.
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In September of that year, Hall and five members of the band played at the Bestival music festival under the moniker "VerySpecialGuests."
In 2009, he remarked on the performance, saying: “Bestival was a testing run." We did an unscheduled slot so we could simply just show up, unnamed. "It was perfect.”
The Specials went on a 2009 tour to mark their 30th anniversary, and in 2018, they backed The Rolling Stones during a performanceatCoventry’sRicohArena.
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In February 2019, The Specials released Encore, their first album of new songs in 37years.
Upon publication, the album went straight to number one on the Official UK Album Chart, marking their first number-one album and the first time they had topped the charts since their legendary hit Ghost Town in 1981 and since their single Too Much Too Young earned a number one in 1980.
The album’s debut single, the politically themed "Vote For Me," was viewed by some fans as a follow-on from "Ghost
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Town," which was acclaimed as a work of popular social satire having been published amid the riots throughout Englandin1981.
Hall told The Big Issue magazinein2019:
“I find myself in awe of the chaos, constantly listening to politicians offering their views and thinking, I don’t necessarilytrustanyofyou,frankly."
“It is quite sad." I grew up linked to a party, the Labour Party, fairly firmly. "Until Tony Blair appointed Noel Gallagher prime minister,Iknewprecisely whereIstood.”
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One ofthegreatestBritishpopsongsofall time, Ghost Town, spent three weeks at numberone.
But Hall, who was just 22 years old, struggled to reconcile the band's political stancewiththeirchartsuccess.
"I felt pretty horrible about it when we picked up a gold disc for GhostTown,"he said. "I felt extremely uncomfortable because you're being urged to celebrate this number-one song that's about what's goingonandthemesswe'rein."
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Hall quit thegrouptoformFunBoyThree with Golding and Staple. He did this to move away from ska and toward an experimental,skeletonpopsound.
The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum), their first song, continued where Ghost Town left off, and on the album track Well Fancy That, Hall spoke about hisabuseasayoungster. But by collaborating with the largest female groups of the time, the band saw moreeconomicsuccess.
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They collaborated with Bananarama on the songs "Really Saying Something" and "ItAin'tWhatYouDo,"ajazzclassic. Additionally, Hall collaborated with The Go Gos'WiedlinonthesongOurLipsAre Sealed, which both bands recorded and independentlyenteredthecharts. Following the dissolution of Fun Boy Three, Hall started many different groups, including The Colourfield, Terry, Blair, and Anouchka, as well as Vegas, a project withDaveStewartoftheEurythmics.
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He began his solo career in 1994 with the highly praised album Home, by which time bands like Massive Attack and Damon Albarn were citing him as a major inspiration (who appeared on the song ChasingARainbow).
The Specials and Fun Boy Three should be played loud and gayly, and my solo/personal songs need to be listened to with a fair dosage of sorrow & self-pity, headvisednewlisteners.
Before reconnecting with The Specials for a tour in 2008, he recorded with trip-hop artist Tricky and Damon Albarn's hip-hop
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side project Gorillaz. He also appeared at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony.
Before Covid abruptly ended their return, the band's 2019 saw the release of a new album, Encore, which earned them their first-ever number-one and prompted showsaroundtheUK.
Hall subsequentlyadmittedtoTheQuietus that "the pandemic'sentranceimpactedme greatly." "I spent almost three months trying to understand what was happening. I was unable to compose even one word.I
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used that time to think of ways to avoid passingaway.
He subsequently decided that recording a cover album with the Black Lives Matter movement as its inspiration was the best courseofaction.
It was released in October 2021 and included new renditions of songs including Freedom Highway by The Staple Singers and Get Up, Stand Up by BobMarley.
It's single, simply titled Protest Songs, peaked at number two on the charts, 24
marking Hall's last entryintheTop75and serving as a fitting capstone to a body of powerful, significant music that embodied a period of outspokenly political British pop.
The filmmaker Lindy Heymann, Hall's wife, is his only surviving spouse. Hall and Jeanette Hall have one son together, andtheyalsohadtwoelderboys.
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Chapter two
The challenging lifeofTerryHallincludes childabuse,suicide,andaddiction.
Terry Hall,theleadsingerofTheSpecials, experienced many things in his 63 years, includingalcoholanddrugaddiction,child abuse, divorce, and a failed suicide attempt.
With his wildly popular band, the musician is credited with helping to establish the British ska movement in the 1970s.
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Following a "short illness," the band announced Terry's passing to his fans while praising him for being a "great husband and parentandoneofthekindest, funniest,andmostgenuineindividuals."
Neville Staples, Terry's bandmate, said in a tweet thathewasawareofTerry'sillness but hadn't realized how severethingswere untillately.
He said that before the terrible news, the Coventry-born artists had promised to collaborateonceagainin2023.
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Hall had previously discussed his difficult past, which had included being abducted as a youngster by a pedophile network, beforehisdeath.
Speaking on a podcast in 2019, Hall said that his battle to accept his sexual assault hadcausedhimdecadesofpain. He even wrote the song Well Fancy That for his 1980s band Fun Boy Three to describetheterrifyingevent.
Hall acknowledged that getting him over the trauma required years of therapy and drugs.
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Hall went on to struggle with drug addiction, alcoholism, despair, and even attempted suicide after being kidnapped byhisFrenchinstructor. His aborted suicide attempt in 2004 resulted in a bipolar illness diagnosis, which ultimately inspired Hall to get The Specialsbacktogether. He discussed histerriblejourneytoFrance in the early 1980s in an interview with Richard Herring's Leicester Square TheatrePodcast.
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He admitted: "I was kidnapped by a pedophile network in France when I was 12yearsold,anditwasahugeeye-opener.
I can joke about it now, but at the time, something inside of me changed and I began to believe that I didn't have to doit.
I also stopped paying attentiontoanybody afterthat.
At age 13, after the terrifying event, he was given Valium and discovered he had losthiswilltoattendschool.
I was hooked on Valium, he said to the Spectator. This means I did nothing, even
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attend school. For eight months, I did nothingexceptrockinbed.
Troubled Hall began using drugs and drinking during his teens,andattheageof 15,hechosetodropoutofschool.
He acknowledged as an adult that he had resentment for his abuser for many years, but he now realizes that the abuser was mentallyill.
He quickly fell in love with music, started the Coventry ska band The Specials, and discovered that songwriting was a healing activity.
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Due to personality conflicts, Hall left The Specials after the band's greatest song, Ghost Town, which lasted three weeks at No.1.
He joined forces with other musicians
Lynval Golding and Neville Staple to create the new wave pop combo Fun Boy Three.
In the 1983 song Well Fancy That from their second and last album Waiting, Hall tackled his history throughout their two yearsasaband.
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The song has a devastating line spoken by Hall:"Thehedgeyoutookmethrough,led to a mentalcollapse.Iwouldhaveclaimed to beunawareofyourcunningintellectifI had been able to read what was going on insideofit.
"Your torture and the wounds it causesare theonlydefense,"thespeakersaid.
In a prior interview, Hall described the song's creation by saying:"TheonlywayI could cope with the event was to write about it in a song. I found writing to be incredibly challenging, but I wanted to expressmythoughts.
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Hall spent the following 20 years switching between musical endeavours, including his bands Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and Vegas. Fun Boy
Threesplitupafteronlytwoyears. He's also worked with a plethora of performers, including Tricky, Gorillaz, Lily Allen, Shakespeare's Sister, and The Lightning Seeds, as well as recording two soloalbums.
During the nineties, Hall said he began self-medicating with gin and became an alcoholic.
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Throughout that period, he refused to engage in The Special's reunions, but all thatchangedafterhissuicideattempt.
In 2004, Hall attempted to kill himself, and physicians diagnosed bipolar illness, ultimately giving him clarity over his mental issues so he chose to throw the olivebranchtohisSpecialscomrades. He initially got in contact with drummer John Bradbury and ultimately most of the band was on board - save pianist Jerry Dammers - and they finally reformed in 2008.
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Reflecting on their reunion, Hall said: "That was the difficulty really for me: one byonepullingthosepeoplebackin.That’s been greater than any concert, simply that they’rethereagain."
Hall acknowledged in 2019 he had been using anti-psychotic medicine for 12 years.
He went on to find happiness with his second wife, filmmaker Lindy Heymann, andtheirsonOrson,eight.
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They first met when she created the video for his 1997 hit Ballad OfALandlord,but didn't join together as a relationship until yearslater.
He also has two kids Leo and Felix - a prominent DJ - with his previous wife JeanetteHall.
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Chapter three
TributesToTerryHall
Tributes have been flooding in after the passing of lead vocalist of The Specials Terry Hall. He gained to recognition as a member of the Coventry band, who were pioneersoftheskagenreintheUK.
Belinda Carlisle, the Lightning Seeds, Billy Bragg and Elvis Costello are among the numerous artists who have already paid homage. UB40 stated simply: We are terribly sorry to learn of the demise of
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Terry Hall the lead vocalist of @thespecials. Another one has gone too soon!RIPTerry."
Bandmate NevilleStapletweetedtosayhe was 'verygrieved'.FolksingerBillyBragg paid homage to his cultural effect on Britain in the 1970s. Culture Clubvocalist Boy George called it a 'sad day' and that he'totallyadoredhim'asamusician.
A statement from the band posted on Monday (December 19) said: “It is with tremendous regret that we announce the loss, after a short illness, of Terry, our beloved friend, brother, and one of the
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most creative singers, composers, and lyricistsournationhaseverproduced.
“Terry was a fantastic husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most honest of people. His music and his performances embodied the very essence of life... the pleasure, the anguish, the humor, the battle for justice, but primarily thelove.
“He will be dearly missed by those who knew and loved him and leaves us the gift of his extraordinary music and genuine compassion. Terry regularly departed the stage after The Specials’ life-affirming
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gigs with three words... 'Love Love Love.'
We would urge everyone to respect the family’s privacy at this extremely tragic time.”
The Specials' lead vocalist Terry Hall has been honored for his 'remarkable music and great compassion' after his passing at the age of 63. Hall 'encapsulated the very essence of life' with his music, the band stated as they revealed the news on Monday(December19).(December19).
Hall came to popularity as a member of the band in the late 1970s, with
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number-one songs like 'A Message To You, Rudy,' 'Rat Race' and 'Ghost Town,' and was noted fortheirskaandrocksteady sound.
Back in November 1979, The Specials returned to their birthplace to perform for thousandsoffans.Afterwitnessinghisson play inCoventry,TerryHallSenior,whose son, Terry was the lead vocalist of the Specials, hailed the performance as 'out of thisworld.'
“It is out of this world,” remarked Mr. Hall. “I never knew it could be that
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amazing. I haveseenhimontelevisionbut itwasneverasspectacularasthis.”
Twenty-year-old Terry used to perform clerical work at David Fletcher Ltd., the stamp and coin merchants in Station Square, Coventry. His mother, Joan, who was present at the show, said: “It's really unbelievable that my son has gone from working in an office to this. I believe the entirethingisfantastic.”
Culture Club vocalistBoyGeorgecalledit a 'sad day,' tweeting: “Very sorry to hear about Terry Hall! Absolutely adored him asanartist.”
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Singer Matt Goss has voicedhis'horror'at thedemiseofTerryHall. He postedonTwitter:“I'mindisbeliefthat one of my fave singer-songwriters, Terry Hallhasdiedaway.
“The Specials symbolize my adolescence, they reflect everything about my teenage years, they were THE BAND that got us out of our homes and into the school discos&clubs!”
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Neville Staple has led tributes to his The Specials bandmate Terry Hall upon his passingattheageof63.
“This has struck me hard,” Staple said on Twitter, adding: “We knew Terry hadbeen sick but didn’t appreciate how severeuntil lately. We had just recently finalized some 2023jointmusicdealstogether.
“In the music World, people have many ups and downs, but I will latch onto the amazing memories of Terry and me, creating history fronting The Specials and Fun Boy three together. Rest comfortably, TerryHall.”
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Folk singer Bill Bragg has paidhomageto TerryHall.
In a tweet, he said: “The Specials were a celebration of how British culture was invigorated by Caribbean immigration but the onstage demeanour of theirleadsinger was a reminder that they were in the serious business of questioning our image of who we were in the late 1970s. RIP TerryHall.”
TerryHallAge
At the timeofhisdeath,TerryHallwas63 yearsold.
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TerryHallFamily
Theo and Felix, two kids born to Terry Hall and Jeanette Hall. Terry Hall was a supporter of Manchester United. He attempted suicide in 2004 and was later givenamanicdepressivediagnosis.
TerryHall'sNetWorth
At the time of his death, Terry Hall was reportedtohaveanetworthof$2million.
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