Terry Hall

[mikey]

So sad to hear of the death of Terry Hall who played a huge part in the development of my own musical taste and a love of ska.  The reformed Specials played Womads at New Zealand and Australia so was hoping that they would be invited to play Charlton Park, it would have been so justified, reflecting on the great contribution the band and Terry Hall had made to music across the world as well as the soundtrack to our younger years he provided for us.  

not forgetting the immense contribution (and personal risk) they made towards the anti-fascist movement along with the supporting BLM in more recent years.  

the obituaries did open my eyes to the hardships he faced growing up, what made him the giant of music he became but, sadly, also appears to have made his personal life such a hard struggle.  

Terry Hall, we will miss you.

[olirow]

You know, people are supposed to live through to their 90's these days, why are so many of my childhood heroes dying so young?

I saw the Specials in Cambridge in the late 70's, there was a full blown riot and it was the first time I ever kissed a girl. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, why is everything so dull now?

[Zenrider]

Dec 20, 2022 13:58:20 GMT olirow said:

You know, people are supposed to live through to their 90's these days, why are so many of my childhood heroes dying so young?

I saw the Specials in Cambridge in the late 70's, there was a full blown riot and it was the first time I ever kissed a girl. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, why is everything so dull now?

That's the thing. Some people are living into their 90's. Most are not. That's the thing about averages, they rarely reflect reality. The average lifespan has dropped in the USA, yet Republicans want to deny us retirement benefits until we are 6+- (more minus) years from that. Knowing full well most of us will die before or shortly after 70. Denying Medicare and Social Security until 70 will be a death sentence and/or financial ruin for most.

[beef]

Dec 20, 2022 19:17:52 GMT Zenrider said:

Dec 20, 2022 13:58:20 GMT olirow said:

You know, people are supposed to live through to their 90's these days, why are so many of my childhood heroes dying so young?

I saw the Specials in Cambridge in the late 70's, there was a full blown riot and it was the first time I ever kissed a girl. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, why is everything so dull now?

That's the thing. Some people are living into their 90's. Most are not. That's the thing about averages, they rarely reflect reality. The average lifespan has dropped in the USA, yet Republicans want to deny us retirement benefits until we are 6+- (more minus) years from that. Knowing full well most of us will die before or shortly after 70. Denying Medicare and Social Security until 70 will be a death sentence and/or financial ruin for most.

... everything is political bullshit designed to protect the interests of asset owners - shareholders, property, big business etc etc... nothing is functioning for it's original purpose of benefitting society and protecting people. It's a nightmare. And in the meantime the bastards get ever richer and more powerful on the backs of ordinary folk, struggling to keep going.

Anyway, I didn't really appreciate the Specials at the time (late 70s/early 80s) but I rediscovered Terry Hall's brilliant and eclectic career decades later via the album he recorded with Mushtaq - hard to pick a favourite track from such a great album, but Stand Together seems like a good choice right now.

[calndel]

Sad news indeed, the specials were one of the few bands that stuck out for me as child, they just had that little extra something

[sc]

Very sad news indeed, agree with all your comments, the musical development of our musical tastes, the joyous feeling of riotous rebellion of the late 70's early 80's, the belief we could change the world, smash the status quo, break through and anarchy on the dance floor, joyous times indeed of self discovery.

And agree that too many hero's are now leaving us too young, to my shame I never saw The Specials, but I got close when I saw The Pogues at the Town and Country Club in 1986, when Lynval Golding came on stage and played "A Message to you".   Together on stage playing "A Message to You", Lynval Golding, Kirsty MacColl, Joe Strummer and Shane MacGowan fabulous.  The Pogues played Town and Country Club for 14 consecutive nights, this clip is from St Patrick's day, the day after I was there. Cheer Terry, get those angels dancing