Value Added Galleries
24 October 2024
Photos: Merritone family mural unveiled
The Merritone Music Blake Family Mural was unveiled on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at the Kingston Creative art district on Water Lane, downtown Kingston. The unveiling marks the 34th annual Merritone Reunion & Family Homecoming and the 74th Anniversary of Merritone sound system.
The Merritone sound system was founded in 1950 in St Thomas by Val Blake, patriarch of the family. When he died in 1956, two of his sons, Trevor and Winston, took over; younger brothers Tyrone and Errol (Monte) joined them in the 1960s.
For 28 years, the brothers operated the Turntable Club at Red Hills Road which was among the hottest leisure spots in Jamaica during the 1970s. Winston, the face of Merritone, died in 2016 while Tyrone passed away four years earlier.