{{Short description|New Zealand musician (1938–2009)}} {{use dmy dates|date=November 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Gerald Kereti Merito | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1938|08|16}} | birth_place = Whakatāne | death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|01|26|1938|08|16}} | death_place = Waihau | occupation = Singer and guitarist | known_for = Member of the Howard Morrison Quartet | spouse = Dorothy Ohlson | children = Danieal Merito Ben Merito }}
'''Gerald Kereti Merito''' (16 August 1938 – 26 January 2009), was a New Zealand singer and guitarist, and one of the original members of the Howard Morrison Quartet.
Merito was born in 1938 in Whakatāne on his family farm and was a Tuhoe tribe member. {{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}
In 1999, Merito received the Benny Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc, the highest honour available to a New Zealand variety entertainer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vacnz.com/bennyaward/|title=Variety Artists Club of NZ Benny Award Recipients|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016033941/http://www.vacnz.com/bennyaward/|archivedate=2013-10-16}}</ref>
He died aged 70, after playing at the Waihau Hotel.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.amplifier.co.nz/news/44109/rip-gerry-merito.html |title=RIP Gerry Merito | Amplifier NZ Music |access-date=2009-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131091331/http://www.amplifier.co.nz/news/44109/rip-gerry-merito.html |archive-date=2009-01-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Merito has two sons, Daniel and Ben with his wife Dorothy Ohlson.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_1387196">{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/1387196 |title=Tangi a final concert for Merito |author=Irvine, Denise |date=January 31, 2009 |work=Waikato Times |accessdate=October 1, 2011}}</ref>
==References== <references/>
==External links== *[http://www.audioculture.co.nz/people/gerry-merito AudioCulture profile]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Merito, Gerry}} Category:1938 births Category:2009 deaths Category:New Zealand guitarists Category:New Zealand male guitarists Category:Ngāi Tūhoe people Category:People from Whakatāne Category:20th-century guitarists Category:20th-century New Zealand male musicians