Coventry’s Music Museum pays tribute to Terry Hall

The Terry Hall tribute

At a glance

  • A tribute to The Specials frontman Terry Hall has been unveiled in his hometown

  • The artwork has been installed at Coventry Music Museum and features a painting of the singer

  • Hall died in December aged 63

  • Published

A tribute to The Specials frontman Terry Hall has been unveiled at a museum in his hometown.

Hall died aged 63 in December of pancreatic cancer.

Coventry Music Museum said it "had to do something" to remember the singer, who was an icon of the Two Tone scene.

"In December when he passed the outpouring was just amazing," said the museum's founder Pete Chambers. "I’ve never seen anything like it."

The Specials spearheaded the Two Tone and ska scenes, their music reflected an era of upheaval, unemployment and racial tension.

Blowing up in the 1970s and 80s, the group is best remembered for hits including Ghost Town, Gangsters and Too Much Too Young.

"You go anywhere all over the world, you talk about Coventry, and people talk about the Blitz, the cathedral, Lady Godiva and invariably they’ll talk about Two Tone," said Mr Chambers.

The tribute to the former frontman includes a painting by artist Rick Hadfield, photographs and a space for fans to leave messages.

"So many people will have things to say," said Mr Chambers and added a huge number of visitors had come to the museum to sign a book of condolence when Hall died.

"We’re only a small museum so finding extra space is always difficult but it shows how much the importance is to actually find the space," he said.

"That’s how much we care for this guy."