The Specials Archives - The Coventry Observer

4^th Jun, 2026

The Specials72 posts

NEWS 31^st Mar, 2024

MUSIC MATTERS- Enjoying the story of Coventry 2-Tone

NEWS 18^th Jan, 2024

The Specials legend Neville Staple taking complete rest from performing after heart defect diagnosis

NEWS 18^th Jan, 2024

MUSIC MATTERS- Rock opera tells family story through the Blitz

NEWS 11^th Jan, 2024

MUSIC MATTERS- Rhoda's 'The Boiler' transcended entertainment

NEWS 5^th Jan, 2024

Readers back calls for 'Specials Day' in Coventry

NEWS 26^th Dec, 2023

New Coventry book covers the launch of the 2-Tone era

NEWS 18^th Dec, 2023

Calls for a 'Specials Day' in Coventry on first anniversary of Terry Hall's passing

NEWS 12^th Oct, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Cats A Great Single

NEWS 29^th Sep, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Sugary Staple's new great EP

NEWS 4^th Sep, 2023

Coventry music museum joins venture to help bring in new exhibits and volunteers

NEWS 17^th Aug, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- A ‘Special’ night for a brilliant band

NEWS 10^th Aug, 2023

Orchestral concert to pay tribute to Coventry legend Terry Hall

NEWS 20^th Jul, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Coventry's 2-Tone village charity event

NEWS 18^th Jul, 2023

The Specials legend gains honorary doctorate from Coventry University

NEWS 4^th Jul, 2023

Tribute wall installed remembering 'one of Coventry's favourite sons' Terry Hall

NEWS 29^th Jun, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Jerry’s genius disc is well worth giving another spin

NEWS 1^st Jun, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Why vinyl is the answer for music

NEWS 11^th May, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Reflecting on 80s band The XCerts

11^th Mar, 2023

IN PICTURES AND VIDEO - 2-Tone Trail plaque unveiled at Coventry Station to remember The Rocket pub and Horizon Studios

NEWS 2^nd Feb, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Go one step beyond on our 2-Tone trail

NEWS 19^th Jan, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Going dance crazy for tribute acts

NEWS 12^th Jan, 2023

MUSIC MATTERS- Calls for a 2-Tone statue in Coventry

NEWS 10^th Jan, 2023

Pioneering new album to be released by Coventry youngsters tomorrow

NEWS 26^th Dec, 2022

'Too much too young'- Coventrians pay tribute to Terry Hall

NEWS 31^st Dec, 2022

Stadium sagas, council elections and a farewell to Terry Hall- This year in Coventry

NEWS 20^th Dec, 2022

'He was my Two-Tone hero'- Tributes pour in for Terry Hall

NEWS 19^th Dec, 2022

Much-loved Coventry music legend Terry Hall from The Specials, dies aged 63

NEWS 8^th Dec, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS- Celebrating fifty glorious years and still swinging at Christmas

NEWS 10^th Nov, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Enemy gig at the Cov Empire and new Primitives exhibition on its way

NEWS 15^th Sep, 2022

'A million Things' to love about Coventry reggae artist Shiloh's new song

NEWS 11^th Sep, 2022

Special Constables here to help tackle crime

NEWS 23^rd Jun, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Exhibition to celebrate Coventry and Birmingham's links and The Del-Chronics' impressive new CD

NEWS 30^th May, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Radio One's Big Weekend and the Top 10 things people associate with Coventry

NEWS 20^th May, 2022

Documentary celebrating 2-Tone in Coventry coming to BBC TWO tomorrow

NEWS 5^th May, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Tributes paid to Coventry music legend Taz Singh

NEWS 15^th Apr, 2022

World premiere as National Police Symphony Orchestra perform new version of The Specials' Ghost Town at Coventry Cathedral

17^th Mar, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Keep Coventry legends Hazel O'Connor and Taz Singh in your thoughts

NEWS 10^th Mar, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Portrait exhibition of Coventry greats goes on show

24^th Feb, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Blue plaque to Coventry's Lt Pigeon as Mouldy Old Dough turns 50

NEWS 10^th Feb, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - The Coventry influence on the Expo Dubai 2020 and Raw Records' rare Specials Bob Maeley cover

NEWS 27^th Jan, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Festival celebrating Delia Derbyshire returns for the fourth year

NEWS 23^rd Jan, 2022

Deliaphonic festival returns to celebrate the music of Coventry's Delia Derbyshire

NEWS 20^th Jan, 2022

MUSIC MATTERS - Tribute to Kerri Bowes, Never Apart's new single and Ghost Town top in 2021

NEWS 16^th Dec, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - Leamington's Woodbine Street Studios gets a plaque and Wick is 'Chasing the Rainbow'

NEWS 11^th Nov, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - This year's Coventry Peace Lecture, Museum's 8th birthday and Enemy returns

NEWS 8^th Oct, 2021

Coventry micropub shows its love of 2-Tone with former mayor's portraits exhibition

NEWS 25^th Sep, 2021

Assembly Festival Garden to host exclusive screening of BBC's '2-Tone – The Sound of Coventry' documentary

NEWS 26^th Sep, 2021

Archbishop of Canterbury and former Canadian PM to head up Coventry's Global Peace Forum

NEWS 16^th Sep, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - The Specials - New 'Protest Songs' album and homecoming gig

13^th Sep, 2021

5,000 see The Specials' homecoming gig at the Coventry Building Society Arena

NEWS 29^th Aug, 2021

Celebration time as Coventry Music Museum wins top Tripadvisor 2021 'Travellers' Choice' award

NEWS 26^th Aug, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - RIP 'musician's musician' Ollie Warner, Abbey Road and 2-Tone exhibit

19^th Aug, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - Coventry really feels like the UK City of Culture and calls for station plaque

29^th Jul, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - Powerful lyrics on Leamington's LAMP CD

NEWS 28^th Jul, 2021

Changes made to the Terry Halls Home Sessions line-up after mixed ticket sales

NEWS 23^rd Jul, 2021

Free night will highlight Coventry's women 2Tone and 1970s ska post-punk trailblazers

NEWS 20^th Jul, 2021

DJ Lau.ra's delight at 'home city' gig in Coventry during Terry Hall's Home Sessions

NEWS 15^th Jul, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - Neville Staple Band live at Coventry’s Assembly Festival Gardens

NEWS 6^th Jul, 2021

Rallying call for Coventry musicians to take centre stage at Terry Hall's HOME GROWN sessions

NEWS 22^nd Jun, 2021

The Libertines and The Lightning Seeds on their way to Coventry as part of the Terry Hall Home Sessions

24^th Jun, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - Ghost Town on the top spot again and the latest on HMV Empire Coventry

NEWS 9^th Jun, 2021

Meet the Coventry Kids - Author Aaron's latest book introduces children to city's famous sons and daughters

18^th Feb, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - Be part of the Coventry 2 Tone exhibition and Senses have new album

28^th Jan, 2021

MUSIC MATTERS - Staring at the Rude Boys and something completely different......

NEWS 27^th Nov, 2020

MUSIC MATTERS - 'Coventry Venues - A Year in the Live’

NEWS 15^th Jul, 2019

The Specials' Terry Hall hits out at Coventry council 'apathy' over 40-year celebrations - and fans call for city to honour them

NEWS 8^th Feb, 2019

BREAKING: The Specials add third show at Coventry cathedral ruins after tickets sell out within minutes

The Specials will support the Rolling Stones at Coventry gig

28^th Feb, 2018

The Specials' Neville Staple's tribute to Cyrille Regis ahead of Coventry Cathedral service

NEWS EXCLUSIVE 20^th Jul, 2017

EXCLUSIVE: The Specials' Horace Panter re-united with loved and lost 'Ghost Town' bass

NEWS 18^th May, 2017

The Specials' 'orginal rude boy' Neville Staple to receive lifetime achievement award from Coventry school

NEWS 23^rd Jan, 2017

2-Tone relived as national tour kicks off at Coventry Empire this Saturday