Terry Hall.Photo: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns
On Tuesday, his bandmate Horace Panter shared the events of the past few months in alengthy Facebook post, revealing Hall had been battling cancer.
He later added, “Confidence was high. We were set to meet up with Nikolaj and make magic. This was in September. Terry e-mails everyone and says he’s in bed with a stomach bug and can’t do the first week of pre-production sessions. No big deal, we can knock everything back a week. We’re not due to fly out until November 4th. The next week, Terry is no better and is in [the] hospital. There’s not much we can do except wait for him to get better. Sunday October 2nd and I get a phone call from Manager Steve.”
Panter, 69, goes on to say that “everything turned to s—” and Hall’s illness was “a lot worse than we thought.” He had cancer and was developing diabetes.
“There is nothing anyone can do. Everything is put on hold. Terry is emphatic that no-one be told about this. If anyone asks, he’s managing his diabetes,” Panter wrote. Hall then began his chemotherapy and was in and out of the hospital to stabilize his diabetes — before things “went quiet.”
“Beginning of December and reports are not good. Terry has lost a lot of weight and is very frail. His friend Ian Broudie visits and phones Manager Steve. He fears that Terry is slipping away. 15th December and Manager Steve drives up to London to visit,” he recalled. “He calls me on his return journey and says things are not looking promising. Terry is dying. The next day he is put on morphine and is more-or-less unconscious for most of the time.”
“The world has lost a unique voice and I have lost a good friend,” he concluded.
Horace Panter and Terry Hall.Harry Herd/Redferns
The Specials previously confirmed Hall’s death in astatement on social mediaMonday. He was 63.
“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,” the statement began.
The statement concluded, “We would ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy at this very sad time.🖤”
Hall formed The Specials in 1977 and he served as the lead vocalist until 1981, before returning for a reunion in 2008 up until his death, according toRolling Stone.
source: people.com
