The Specials frontman Terry Hall died as a result of pancreatic cancer, according to his bandmate Horace Panter.
The band's bassist shared the news in an emotional Facebook post while also revealing their plans to record a new album in Los Angeles in November, which was set to be produced by Roger Rivas of the Aggrolites.
The first delay came in September when, ahead of their flight to Los Angeles, Hall emailed his bandmates saying he had to miss the first week of preproduction sessions due to a stomach bug.
"No big deal, we can knock everything back a week," wrote Panter.
However, Hall's condition did not improve and on Oct. 2, the band's manager, Steve Blackwell, let them know that the vocalist had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which had spread to his liver. As a result, he also developed diabetes and required treatment and chemotherapy.
"There is nothing anyone can do," wrote Panter. "Everything is put on hold."
Over the next few weeks, Hall remained "emphatic" that nobody be told about his illness. He was in and out of hospital to manage the pain and stabilize his diabetes and while chemo started "favorably," it soon became apparent that the band would not be able to work until March 2023.
By the time December arrived, Hall had "lost a lot of weight" and was "very frail" and by mid-month, Hall received a visit from Blackwell, who then notified the rest of the band that he was dying. A day later, Hall was "put on morphine and is more-or-less unconscious for most of the time."
Panter intended to visit Hall, but his wife, Lindy Heymann, advised against it, instead inviting him to say his goodbyes over the phone.
"So, I did. It was tough," he wrote.
The following evening, at 5.30 p.m. on Dec. 18, Hall died.
"Terry was a wonderful husband and father and one of the kindest, funniest, and most genuine of souls," The Specials said in a joint statement, according to Variety. "His music and his performances encapsulated the very essence of life… the joy, the pain, the humor, the fight for justice, but mostly the love."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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