Terry Hall, who fronted The Specials and co-wrote The Go-Gos hit "Our Lips Are Sealed," died Sunday at 63.
According to a statement from The Specials, Hall died “following a brief illness.” He was remembered as “one of the most brilliant singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced.”
The statement 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.
“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.”
Hall was born in Coventry, England and had a difficult childhood. He said that at the age of 12, he was abducted by a teacher, taken to France and sexually abused for four days before being left at the side of a road. He dropped out of school and became addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Hall was performing in a local punk band when he was recruited to front the Coventry Automatics in 1977 – which later became The Specials. By 1981, the band had racked up several Top 10 hits in the UK.
"The Specials were a celebration of how British culture was envigorated by Caribbean immigration but the onstage demenour 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," tweeted singer Billy Bragg. Others who paid tribute to Hall on social media include Midge Ure and Boy George.
Hall and his bandmates Lynval Golding and Neville Staple left The Specials and formed Fun Boy Three. They released two albums and collaborated with Bananarama on “Really Saying Something” and a cover of “It Ain’t What You Do (It’s The Way That You Do It).”
Staple tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” to get the news. “We knew Terry had been unwell but didn't realize how serious until recently,” he tweeted. “We had only just confirmed some 2023 joint music agreements together. This has hit me… In the music world, people have many ups and downs, but I will hang onto the great memories of Terry and I, making history fronting The Specials and Fun Boy three together.”
Hall also co-wrote “Our Lips Are Sealed” with Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Gos – a song that both bands recorded.
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. pic.twitter.com/Fxxqr0p01T
— Jane Wiedlin (@janewiedlin) December 19, 2022
Years of struggling with mental health issues led to a suicide attempt in 2004. But, he went on to be a part of a number of other bands, launched a solo career and shared vocals with Damon Albarn on the Gorillaz and D12 track “911.”
The Specials reunited in 2008 and released an album of new music, Encore, in 2019, followed by last year’s Protest Songs 1924–2012, which included a cover of “Everybody Knows” by Canada’s Leonard Cohen.
Hall is survived by wife Lindy Heymann and their son Orson as well as sons Theo and Felix from a previous marriage.