Gerald Kereti Merito (b Whakatane, August 16, 1938, married twice, d Waihoa, January 26, 2009), was a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

singer and guitarist, and one of the original members of the

Howard Morrison Sir Howard Leslie Morrison (18 August 1935 – 24 September 2009) was a New Zealand entertainer. From 1964 until his death in 2009, he was one of New Zealand's leading television and concert performers. Early life Of Māori (Te Arawa), Irish ...

Quartet. Merito was a farm boy from Whakatane and a Tuhoe tribe member. In 1999 Merito received the

Benny Award The Benny Award is bestowed on a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded to a variety performer who ha ...

from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc, the highest honour available to a New Zealand variety entertainer. He died aged 70, after playing at the Waihau Hotel. Merito has two sons, Daniel and Ben and his wife Dorothy Ohlson.

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External links

AudioCulture profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merito, Gerry 1938 births 2009 deaths New Zealand guitarists New Zealand male guitarists Ngāi Tūhoe people People from Whakatāne 20th-century guitarists 20th-century male musicians