Terry Hall, the longtime vocalist of British ska legends The Specials, has passed away at the age of 63 after an undisclosed illness. Hall fronted The Specials between 1977-1981 and from 2008 until his passing, and his first stint with the band was incredibly successful. The band rose to fame with their 1979 self-titled debut album, which was interestingly produced by the also legendary Elvis Costello. The band’s ska-punk and reggae sound proved to be incredibly influential on bands like Reel Big Fish, Sublime, and especially No Doubt, who would rise to fame many years later.
Likely the band’s biggest song, 1981’s “Ghost Town” described the 1981 English riots where stop-and-search laws caused major racial tension in the streets of many major English cities. The song eventually reached #1 on the British singles chart, and also proved a key influence in the development of reggae rock and ska-punk just as much as their entire body of work did.
