Terry Hall, the lead singer of The Specials, was identified as having cancer not long before he passed away this week at the age of 63, according to a bandmate.
They had intended to record a new album in November when Hall became ill with what was thought to be a stomach ailment, according to bassist Horace Panter, who offered a poignant description of his friend’s final days.
It turned out to be pancreatic cancer that had migrated to his liver in the end. The initial round of treatment went well, but Hall started to deteriorate in December, according to Panter.
He wrote,
“Reports are not good.” “Terry is really fragile and has lost a lot of weight.
“Ian Broudie, a friend from The Lightning Seeds, pays him a visit and calls manager Steve. He worries that Terry is evaporating.”
He went on:
“Manager Steve makes the trip up to London on December 15. On his way back, he contacts me and says things don’t seem good. Terry is passing away. He is given morphine the following day and is essentially comatose for the majority of the day.”
Panter stated that Hall’s wife Lindy had urged him against going to see his friend in the hospital and had instead set up a phone conversation to say farewell.
It was difficult, Panter said,
“On Sunday, December 17, at 5 o’clock in the evening, Terry passed away.
“I have lost a wonderful friend, and the world has lost a distinctive voice.”
The leader of Dub Pistols, Barry Ashworth, said on LBC that Hall’s final words were “Love, love, love,” which is also the line he frequently used to end performances.
I’ve lost one of my heroes, but I’ve lost one of my dearest, dearest, dearest friends, Ashworth told broadcaster Andrew Marr, adding, “Never forget it.”
On Tuesday, tributes to Hall, who also fronted bands like Fun Boy Three and The Colourfield, flowed in from all corners of the music industry. Friends and colleagues recalled Hall’s friendliness and dry humor as much as they remembered his music.
The frontman of the Pogues, Ian MacGowan, expressed his sadness over Terry Hall’s passing by writing: “He was a lovely guy and I am praying for his family and friends @thespecials.”
The musician was referred to as “a musical pioneer, a true original, one of the great frontmen, an inspiration, and a beautiful dude” by Stone Roses singer Ian Brown.
Damon Albarn of Blur, who has frequently cited Hall as an influence, shared a heartfelt piano rendition of The Specials’ Friday Night, Sunday Morning on social media with the caption: “To me, Terry, you were everything. I cherish you.”
A black and white photo of Hall was posted on Twitter by Madness, who was also at the forefront of the 80s ska movement. They wrote: “A sad loss to all of us, way too young, RIP Terry Hall.”
The lead vocalist of The Specials’ onstage demeanor served as a reminder that they were in the serious business of questioning how we perceived ourselves in the late 1970s, according to Billy Bragg, who also reflected on how Caribbean immigration had energized British society.
Jerry Dammers, Lynval Golding, and Horace Panter founded The Specials in Hall’s hometown of Coventry in 1977. Hall, Neville Staple, Roddy Byers, and John Bradbury joined a year later.
Before Hall left to start Fun Boy Three in 1981, they had seven straight top 10 singles with songs including Gangsters, A Message To You Rudy, Too Much, Too Young, and Ghost Town.
He re-joined the group for a 2008 reunion tour, and with 2019’s Encore, they achieved their first-ever number-one album.
Following a “brief illness,” the band made the announcement of his passing on Monday night.
They requested privacy in a statement, which they followed by saying: “He leaves behind the gift of his extraordinary music and profound compassion and will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved him.”
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