British ska band The Specials are mourning their singer. Terry Hall has died at the age of 63, the group founded in the late 1970s announced on Monday, which released a covers album last year.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing, after a brief illness, of Terry, our wonderful friend, brother and one of the finest singers, songwriters and lyricists this country has ever produced,” said the group on several social networks, including Twitter and Facebook. “His music and performances enveloped the true essence of life…joy, pain, humor, the struggle for justice, but above all love,” the band wrote, praising their “remarkable music and his deep humanity.
Born in 1959 and hailing from Coventry, Warwickshire (West of England), Terry Hall rose to prominence with The Specials in the late 1970s. In 1981, their signature track ghosttown topped the UK charts for several weeks. Depressed, Hall had revealed in a song to have been a victim of pedophilia during a school trip to France.
He had had other musical experiences outside of the Specials, before the group reformed late and performed on stage in varying formats. Last year, these veterans of the British scene released an album of covers of their protest songs. During his career, Terry Hall has also collaborated with other artists such as rapper Tricky, Gorillaz or Lily Allen.