(London) Terry Hall, singer of the British group The Specials, has died at the age of 63, the ska group founded in the late 1970s and which last year had released an album of covers, announced on Monday.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing, after a short illness, of Terry, our wonderful friend, brother and one of the most brilliant singers,” the group said on several social networks, including Twitter and Facebook.
“His music and performances embodied the very essence of life…joy, pain, humor, the fight for justice, but most of all love,” the band wrote, praising his “extraordinary music and profound humanity.
Born in 1959 and originally from Coventry, Warwickshire (West England), Terry Hall rose to prominence with the Specials in the late 70s. In 1981, their signature song Ghost city topped the UK charts for several weeks.
Depressed, Hall had revealed in a song that he was a victim of pedophilia during a school trip to France.
He had had other musical experiences outside of the Specials, before the group later reformed and performed on stage in various formats. Last year, these veterans of the British scene released an album of covers of their protest songs.
Throughout his career, Terry Hall has also collaborated with other artists such as rapper Tricky, Gorillaz or Lily Allen.
