Music RIP Terry Hall: Remembering the Specials' Impact on British Music

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Terry Hall, the lead singer of the influential band The Specials, has passed away at the age of 63 due to pancreatic cancer. The Specials emerged in 1979 with a unique sound that combined ska and punk, addressing social issues such as urban violence, unemployment, and racial tensions in their lyrics. Their music was a response to the turbulent environment of the time, promoting unity among diverse communities through the Two Tone movement, which celebrated both Jamaican influences and collaboration between black and white musicians. Hall's contributions to music and culture were significant, and his death marks a notable loss in the music community.
pinball1970
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Most on pf will probably not have heard of him.

Very sad to hear of Terry Hall’s passing of pancreatic cancer at 63.

He was in a band called the Specials and the music was very different to anything out at that time, 1979.

I was captured by the drums (John Bradbury died quite young too at 62) and the lyrics were probably the first that talked about life in the inner city, which at the time was turbulent and violent.

Mass unemployment, strikes, riots, racial tension, the rise of the national front and gang warfare were all in our lives as kids and were in the songs.

Two tone was two fingers up to racism and the Jamaican sound and black and white members displayed unity, not cultural separation.

They did earn me a ban for playing two of their tracks at an afternoon school disco, Catholics are very touchy about contraception apparently (I did not know what half the words meant at 12!)

RIP Terry Hall.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64036892
 
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