Terry Hall, the lead singer of the legendary ska band The Specials, has died at the age of 63.

The singer-songwriter rose to fame as part of UK ska pioneers and famed for hits such as Ghost Town, Too Much Too Young and Gangsters before becoming a member of  Fun Boy Three and the Colourfield.

A statement released the band’s official Twitter account on Monday said: “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.

“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 humour, the fight for justice, but mostly the love.

“He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and leaves behind the gift of his remarkable music and profound humanity. Terry often left the stage at the end of The Specials’ life-affirming shows with three words… ‘Love Love Love’.

“We would ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy at this very sad time.”

READ MORE: Flashback to 2016 - The Specials with notable absentees hit Scotland...but are they really worth paying £50 for?

Bandmate Neville Staple tweeted he was “deeply saddened” to hear about Hall’s death, saying: “We knew Terry had been unwell but didn’t realise how serious until recently. We had only just confirmed some 2023 joint music agreements together. This has hit me hard.”

He added: “In the music World, people have many ups and downs, but I will hang onto the great memories of Terry and I, making history fronting The Specials and Fun Boy three together. Rest easy Terry Hall”

Hall was born in Coventry on 19 March 1959 to a family who predominantly worked in the car industry. 

He joined the first incarnation of the Specials – then called the Automatics – shortly after the Coventry band formed in 1977, replacing vocalist Tim Strickland.

After a stint as the Coventry Automatics, they became Special AKA, known as the Specials. The pioneering 2 Tone band rose thanks to the support of Joe Strummer, who invited them to support the Clash live, and of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel.

They released their debut single, Gangsters, a reworking of Prince Buster’s Al Capone, in 1979, which reached No 6 in the UK singles chart.

They would dominate the Top 10 over the next two years, peaking with their second number one single, and calling card, Ghost Town, in 1981. The lyrics, written by the band’s main songwriter, Jerry Dammers, dealt with Britain’s urban decay, unemployment and disfranchised youth.

The band went on to make their mark with their ska and rocksteady style, and for providing a musical backdrop to economic recession, urban decay and societal fracture in the early 1980s.

During their time together, The Specials produced a string of hit records also including A Message To You, Rudy, Rat Race and Stereotype.

News about the passing of the musician saw him trending on Twitter as thousands of fans paid their respects, and a host of musicians paid tribute, including fellow singer and songwriter, Midge Ure, who described Hall's death as "dreadful news".

Fellow singer songwriter Billy Bragg paid his tribute saying: "The Specials were a celebration of how British culture was envigorated by Caribbean immigration but the onstage demenour of their lead singer was a reminder that they were in the serious business of challenging our perception of who we were in the late 1970s. RIP Terry Hall."

Singer songwriter and producer Elvis Costello said: "Sad to receive the news of Terry Hall’s passing from Lynval Golding. Terry’s voice was the perfect instrument for the true and necessary songs on The Specials.  That honesty is heard in so many of his songs in joy and sorrow. My condolences to his family and friends."

Singer and former Go-Gos frontwoman Belinda Carlisle wrote: "Forever bound in music history with Terry Hall.  He co-wrote The Go-Gos breakout hit Our Lips Are Sealed with Jane Wiedlin.  RIP Mr. Hall.

And guitarist Jane Wiedlin  added: "Gutted to hear of the passing of Terry Hall. He was a lovely, sensitive, talented and unique person. Our extremely brief romance resulted in the song Our Lips Are Sealed, which will forever tie us together in music history. Terrible news to hear this."

The Amy Winehouse Foundation said Hall's death was "truly sad news", sharing a picture of him with the Back to Black singer.

The band split in 1981, after which Hall, Golding and Staple went on to form Fun Boy Three, while Dammers and Bradbury released an album under the moniker The Special AKA, which spawned the hit single Free Nelson Mandela in 1984.

With Fun Boy Three he notched up four UK top 10 singles before leaving in 1983 to form The Colourfield with ex-Swinging Cats members Toby Lyons and Karl Shale.

After undertaking a variety of solo and collaborative projects – Hall worked with the likes of Lily Allen – it was announced in 2008 that The Specials would be reforming for a number of tour dates and potential new music.

In September that year, Hall and five members of the band performed at Bestival music festival under the name Very “Special” Guests.

In 2009 he reflected on the performance, saying: “Bestival was a trial run. We did an unannounced slot so we could just could turn up, nameless. It was perfect.”

The Specials embarked on a 2009 tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary and in 2018 supported The Rolling Stones during a concert at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena.

In February 2019, The Specials released Encore, their first album of new material in 37 years.

Upon release, the album went straight to number one on the Official UK Album Chart, marking their first number one album, and the first time they had topped the charts since their classic track Ghost Town in 1981 and since their single Too Much Too Young became a number one in 1980.

The album’s lead single, the politically-themed Vote For Me, was considered by some fans as a follow-on from Ghost Town, which was hailed as a piece of popular social commentary having been released during the riots across England in 1981.

Hall told The Big Issue magazine in 2019: “I find myself in awe of the mess, nightly listening to politicians giving their opinion and thinking, I don’t necessarily trust any of you, really.

“It is pretty sad. I grew up aligned to a party, the Labour Party, quite strongly. Until Tony Blair made Noel Gallagher prime minister I knew exactly where I stood.”