Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Terry Hall Tribute”?
Artist Statement
Terry Hall, singer of the Specials, one of my favorite bands, died of pancreatic cancer a little less than a year ago. This past Saturday, Musack did an amazing tribute to Terry with a bonkers lineup, including Horace Panter and Lynval Golding of the Specials, Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's, Fishbone, No Doubt (except Gwen), Tom Morello, Tim Armstrong and Jesse Michaels of Operation Ivy, Donita Sparks of L7, and others! I fell in love with the Specials in the summer of 1989, around the time I started listening to Operation Ivy and Fishbone, so to have members of all those bands celebrating Terry was incredible! I was also able to do the poster for the event based on a beautiful photo by Chalkie Davies. There are two versions of the print, one with the event lineup included and another that is a simpler tribute to Terry. The black and white print are editions of 325, but the show lineup print is a smaller quantity (edition of 300) because many were sold at the event, and all proceeds from those benefit Musack, an excellent music charity for kids. On a personal note, Terry came by my studio a couple of times, and we talked for hours. He was kind, thoughtful, and very open about life's ups and downs. We talked about kids, mental health, insecurity, relationships, the therapeutic benefits of creativity, and many other heavy topics. He was a kindred spirit who I thought I'd be friends with for many years. This print was done with love… thanks for the tunes Terry! –Shepard Fairey Terry Hall Tribute. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on heavy True White Speckletone paper. Original Illustration based on a photograph by Chalkie Davies. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 325. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $75.
Summary
Terry Hall Tribute is a 2023 screen print, 18 x 24 inches, printed on heavy True White Speckletone paper in a signed, numbered edition of 325 published by Obey Giant. It honors Terry Hall, singer of the Specials, who died of pancreatic cancer, and was created as the poster for a Musack tribute event. The portrait is an original illustration based on a photograph by Chalkie Davies. Two versions exist: a black-and-white tribute and a separate show-lineup version of 300. Proceeds from the lineup print benefit Musack, a music charity for kids. Fairey describes a personal friendship with Hall, framing the print as a heartfelt musical and personal tribute.
Why It Matters
Terry Hall Tribute is a deeply personal entry in Fairey's long line of music tributes, distinguished by the artist's stated friendship with the subject. Where many of his music portraits celebrate figures he admires from afar, this one draws on hours of conversation about kids, mental health, and creativity, giving it an emotional grounding the description makes explicit. The print connects Fairey to the ska and 2 Tone legacy of the Specials, a band he says he fell in love with in 1989 alongside Operation Ivy and Fishbone, situating the work within the punk-adjacent counterculture that shaped him. Its origin as a poster for a Musack benefit event, with a star-studded lineup, ties it to live music culture and charitable fundraising for kids' music programs. The collaboration with photographer Chalkie Davies adds documentary authority to the portrait. For collectors, the combination of a smaller edition of 325, a genuine personal connection, and a tie to a specific tribute event makes it a meaningful and relatively focused piece. It sits comfortably among Fairey's musician portraits while standing out for its sincerity and its link to a recent, well-documented memorial moment in music.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors of Fairey's music portraits and fans of the Specials, ska, and 2 Tone culture. Its smaller edition of 325 and personal backstory give it appeal to those who prioritize meaning and provenance over pure iconography. The black-and-white portrait reads cleanly on a wall and pairs well with other musician tributes in a music-themed display. Buyers drawn to charitable releases will note the Musack benefit connection. It fits naturally into a collection of Fairey's musician portraits alongside figures like Ian Curtis and others, and the documented Chalkie Davies photo source adds collector confidence. It is a strong choice for someone building a focused music-tribute wall.
Historical Context
Terry Hall Tribute extends Fairey's enduring engagement with the music that shaped him, particularly the punk and 2 Tone scenes he encountered as a teenager. The description ties the work to his discovery of the Specials in 1989, anchoring it in the counterculture roots that run throughout his career. Created as a 2023 poster for a Musack tribute event featuring members of the Specials, the Go-Go's, Fishbone, and others, the print documents a specific memorial gathering and Fairey's role as its visual chronicler. It continues his practice of basing portraits on photographers' work, here Chalkie Davies, and of tying releases to music charities. Within his catalog it belongs to a steady stream of musician tributes, but its personal narrative of friendship marks it as among the more intimate of these portrait works.
FAQ
Who is depicted in this print?
The print depicts Terry Hall, singer of the Specials, who died of pancreatic cancer. Fairey created it as a tribute and as the poster for a Musack memorial event, basing the portrait on a photograph by Chalkie Davies.
What is the edition size?
The black-and-white Terry Hall Tribute is a signed, numbered screen print in an edition of 325. A separate show-lineup version was made in a smaller edition of 300, many of which were sold at the event.
Does this print benefit a charity?
According to the source, all proceeds from the show-lineup version benefit Musack, a music charity for kids. The tribute was tied to a Musack event honoring Terry Hall.
What are the dimensions and materials?
Terry Hall Tribute measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on heavy True White Speckletone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered within the edition of 325, with a Verisart Digital Certificate of Authenticity.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.