Terry Hall was a British musician. He was famed for being the lead singer of the Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, the Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and Vegas. As a solo artist, he released two studio albums – “Home” and “Laugh”. Further, he had also collaborated with many artists including David Stewart, Bananarama, the Lightning Seeds, Sinéad O’Connor, Stephen Duffy, Dub Pistols, Gorillaz, Damon Albarn, D12, Tricky, Lily Allen, and Shakespears Sister. Terry can be seen performing with the Specials in 2018, including a concert with the Rolling Stones, along with his original band members Lynval Golding, and Horace Panter, and often DJed in various UK venues. On 1st February 2019, the Specials released a new studio album entitled “Encore”.
Lead Singer of the Specials, Terry Hall, dies at 63
Terry Hall, the lead singer of the Specials and a former member of Fun Boy Three and the Colourfield dies at 63. His bandmates in the Specials confirmed his death. “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 band tweeted. “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 humor, the fight for justice, but mostly the love.”
Neville Staple, Hall’s bandmate in the Specials and Fun Boy Three, said he was “deeply saddened” by the news. “We knew Terry had been unwell but didn’t realize how serious until recently,” he wrote. “We had only just confirmed some 2023 joint music agreements together. This has hit me hard and must be extremely difficult for Terry’s wife and family.” In a statement, Jerry Dammers, a founding member of the Specials, described the news of Hall’s death as “very shocking, horrible, and tragic.” “Terry was so young and I feel very sad. Contrary to some of what has been reported since Terry and I got on well in the original Specials,” he said. “Beyond our punky start on stage, it was in the studio with Elvis Costello producing, where Terry was able to sing quietly, that I think his hidden strength came out, a delivery which brought out the melancholy in some of The Specials’ songs, and which I think a lot of people could relate to. All my condolences and sympathies go out to his wife and family.”
Terry Hall is survived by his wife, director Lindy Heymann. They had one son; Hall has two older sons with his ex-wife, Jeanette Hall.
What was Terry Hall Known For?
- Terry Hall was a musician from England.
- He was known for being the lead singer of the Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, the Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and Vegas.
What was Terry Hall born name?
Terry Hall was born on 19th March 1959 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England where he spent his early life. By nationality, he was British and he belonged to the British-White ethnicity. His born name was Terence Edward Hall. Terry lastly celebrated his 63rd birthday on 19th March 2022. He was abducted by a paedophile ring on a trip to France at the age of 12. He left school before his 15th birthday, taking various short-term jobs – bricklayer, quantity surveyor, and apprentice hairdresser among them. Pisces was his zodiac sign and he followed Christianity religion. He had not stated any details about his parents and siblings to the media.
How was the Career of Terry Hall?
- Terry at first became an active member of the burgeoning Coventry music scene of the late 1970s, playing in a local punk band called “Squad”. He was credited as a composer on their “Red Alert” single.
The Specials
- In 1979, “The Specials” band was formed in Coventry. The group consisted of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Lynval Golding and Roddy Radiation on guitars, Horace Panter on bass, Jerry Dammers on keyboards, John Bradbury on drums, and Dick Cuthell and Rico Rodriguez on the horn.
- Terry then rose to fame in the UK in 1979 when BBC Radio 1 disc jockey (DJ) John Peel played their debut single “Gangsters” on his show.
- The band next went on to release their debut studio album, “The Specials”. The album consists of the hits “A Message to You Rudy” and “Too Much Too Young”.
- The group released their second studio album, “More Specials” in 1980. The album contained three more hit singles: “Do Nothing”, “Stereotype” and “Rat Race”. The single “Ghost Town”, was released in June 1981.
Fun Boy Three
- Terry then left the band “The Specials” to start a new group called Fun Boy Three with two of his Specials bandmates, Lynval Golding and Neville Staple. The band’s first hit single, “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum),” was released in 1981 and was followed up in 1982 with “It Ain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It),” a duet with Bananarama. The band also provided guest vocals for Bananarama’s single, “Really Saying Something.”
- He along with his bandmates appeared in the music video for “Driving in My Car” by Madness. The band released their debut studio album, “Fun Boy Three” followed by the second studio album “Waiting” in February 1983 which contained two Top Ten hits: “The Tunnel of Love” and “Our Lips Are Sealed”.
The Colourfield
- Next, Terry formed the “Colourfield” in 1984 releasing the studio album “Virgins and Philistines” in 1985. He also co-wrote the song “Smoke Ring” for Broudie’s debut solo studio album Tales Told, which was also released as the lead track on the Smoke Rings EP.
- The band’s second Colourfield studio album, “Deception”, was released in 1987, reaching No. 95 in the UK Albums Chart.
Terry, Blair, and Anouchka
- Hall teamed up with American actress Blair Booth and jeweler Anouchka Grose and began recording under the moniker of Terry, Blair & Anouchka in 1989. The trio released their debut studio album Ultra Modern Nursery Rhymes.
Vegas
- Hall joined forces with Dave Stewart in 1992 and the duo formed the band “Vegas” and released the album “Vegas”. Only one of the three singles lifted from the album, “Possessed”, managed to break the UK Top 40, reaching No. 32.
Solo Career
- Terry then began his formal solo career in 1994 releasing the album “Home”. The highlight of the album was the single “Sense”.
- After that, he released the “Rainbows” EP in collaboration with Damon Albarn of Blur. He followed up his debut studio album “Laugh” in 1997 which became his most successful solo album, reaching No. 50 on the UK Albums Chart.
Hall and Mushtaq
- Terry next collaborated with Mushtaq of Fun-Da-Mental on the studio album “The Hour of Two Lights” in 2003.
Later Career
- Terry then appeared as a guest on the Gorillaz and D12 collaboration single “911” in 2001. In the year 2003, he guested on the song “Never Alone”, which appeared on the Junkie XL studio album Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin.
- Moreover, he was featured on the studio album “True Love” by Toots and the Maytals. He also provided vocals for many tracks on the Dub Pistols’ studio album Speakers and Tweeters in 2007. Further, he appeared on the band’s song “Problem Is” from the studio album Six Million Ways to Live.
The Specials reformation
- Terry then reached out to his former Specials bandmates with the prospect of a reunion. On 6th September 2008, six members of the band performed on the Main Stage at Bestival as a surprise act. On 2nd December 2008, the Specials announced 2009 tour dates to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
- In 2018, Hall was performing with the Specials including a concert with the Rolling Stones, along with his original band members Lynval Golding, and Horace Panter, and often DJed in various UK venues.
- The Specials released a new studio album entitled “Encore” on 1st February 2019.
Who is Terry Hall’s Wife?
Terry Hall was a married man. He tied the knot to his second wife, Lindy Heymann. Lindy is an award-winning British director who studied at Central St Martins, and after graduating with a BA in fine art film, she went on to pursue a career directing music videos. Lindy has also directed episodes of Netflix hit Stay Close, starring James Nesbitt and Cush Jumbo, as well as the TV series The Worst Witch. The duo met each other when Lindy directed the video for Terry’s 1997 single Ballad Of A Landlord. It is unknown when they got married. Terry and Lindy are blessed with a son namely Orson (born in 2014). The family was living a happy life prior to the death of Terry. His sexual orientation was straight.
In 1980, Terry had a brief romantic relationship with Jane Wiedlin of the band the Go-Gos. Together, they wrote the song “Our Lips Are Sealed”. He had two sons with his first wife, Jeanette Hall. The name of their sons is Leo and Felix. They were together for over 20 years, before divorcing in the mid-nineties.
How much was Terry Hall’s Net Worth?
Terry Hall was a musician whose net worth was estimated to have between in the range $1 million – $5 million at the time of his death. He was making his salary in thousands of dollars. He was the lead singer of the Specials, and formerly of Fun Boy Three, the Colourfield, Terry, Blair & Anouchka, and Vegas. His main source of wealth was the music industry. He lived a lavish lifestyle and he had made a huge fortune from his professional career.
How tall was Terry Hall?
Terry Hall was a handsome musician who had a height of 6 feet 2 inches. His body weight measured 80 KG. He had an average body type with amazing vocals. He had green eyes with dark brown hair color. He had an attractive personality. He attempted suicide in 2004 and was subsequently given a manic depressive diagnosis.
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