eville Staple has paid tribute to his The Specials bandmate Terry Hall following Hall’s death at the age of 63.
The singer-songwriter rose to fame as part of the band, who were pioneers of the UK’s ska scene.
Hall’s death was announced through the band’s official Twitter account on Monday.
“This hit me hard,” Staple wrote on Twitter, adding, “We knew Terry was unwell but only recently realized how serious it was. We had just signed some joint music deals for 2023 together.
“In music World, people have a lot of ups and downs, but I’ll hold on to the great memories of Terry and me, making history fronting The Specials and Fun Boy three together. Rest in peace Terry Hall.
Jane Wiedlin, guitarist and founding member of The Go-Go’s, who co-wrote the band’s breakthrough hit Our Lips Are Sealed with Hall, mourned his death with Staple.
She wrote on Twitter: “Deeply moved to hear of the passing of #terryhall. He was a beautiful, sensitive, talented and unique person.
“Our extremely brief romance resulted in the song Our Lips Are Sealed, which will forever connect us in music history. Terrible news to hear this.”
Wiedlin’s bandmate and Heaven Is A Place On Earth singer Belinda Carlisle said The Go-Go’s and Hall were “forever linked in music history”.
Foreman of Culture Club Boy George called it a “sad day” and tweeted, “Very sad to hear about Terry Hall! Absolutely loved him as an artist.”
Singer songwriter Elvis Costello expressed his condolences by tweeting: “Sad to receive the news of Terry Hall’s passing last night from Lynval Golding.
“Terry’s voice was the perfect instrument for the real and necessary songs on “The Specials”. That honesty resonates in joy and sorrow in so many of his songs. My condolences to his family and friends.”
Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie kept his tribute short, posting a broken heart emoji next to a photo of himself with Hall.
Comedian David Baddiel followed a similar vein, writing on Twitter: “Terry Hall was amazing. That’s the tweet.”