Terry Hall, Lead Singer Of The British Ska Revival Band The Specials, Has Died At 63

Founder and lead vocalist of British ska-punk band the Specials, Terry Hall, has died at age 63 after a battle with a “brief illness.” After forming the group in 1977, the Specials saw a peak in popularity until the early 1980s. Hall served as the lead vocalist until 1981 and is revered as one of the era’s great unifiers between British and Caribbean music.

The official statement of Hall’s passing reads, “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 thread 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 humour, the fight for justice, but mostly the love,” adding, “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.’”

The Go-Go’s’ guitarist Jane Wiedlin, who previously collaborated with Hall, took to Twitter to share a heartfelt message, “Gutted to hear of the passing of #terryhall. He was a lovely, sensitive, talented, and unique person. Our extremely brief romance resulted in the song ‘Our Lips Are Sealed,’ which will forever tie us together in music history. Terrible news to hear this.”

Fellow British musician Billy Bragg joined in on the online conversation to share his condolences, writing, “The Specials were a celebration of how British culture was envigorated by Caribbean immigration, but the onstage demeanor of their lead singer was a reminder that they were in the serious business of challenging our perception of who we were in the late 1970s. RIP Terry Hall.”

Hall reunited with the Specials in 2008, performing shows until his death, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the group released new music. Their last album, Encore, was released in 2019 following a hiatus longer than 38 years.

The family is requesting privacy at this time.