Dancehall star Merciless will be buried on September 17, 2022, after he passed away in July at age 51.
The burial will cap a three-day celebration of the Mavis singer’s life.
On the night of Thursday, September 15, the festivities will kick off with a ‘set up’ at Mixing Lab on Dumbarton Avenue, St. Andrew where Stone Love sound system will hold centre stage.
“On Thursday, all the selectors and artistes who want to pay tribute to Merciless will be there to give the dancehall industry a chance to give War Head an official dancehall farewell, everyone who loved and knew Leonard can come show their respect and give tributes with performances,” Harvel ‘Gadaffi’ Hart told DancehallMag.
The following morning (September 16), Merciless’ body will lie in state at the Mixing Lab.
“The viewing will begin at 12 noon, and industry insiders and other well wishers can come pay their final respects,” Hart said.
Funeral director Tommy Thompson of Brite Lite Funeral Services will be in charge of the proceedings as the Ole Gallis deejay will lie-in-state at Mixing Lab.
“I have been asked to parade the body around Kingston and to organize a major viewing at Mixing Lab and put all the relevant protocols in place to send Merciless off in style. My team and I will be turning Dumbarton Avenue into Merciless Boulevard with banners, photos and such. Tributes will be done while he will lie-in-state on Friday, as songwriters, musicians and entertainers will be in the house paying their last respects,” Thompson, who is known for providing swanky and glitzy funerals for top celebrities, said.
“The whole event will be done in manner that is appropriate and fitting his personality…it will be a momentous occasion,” Thompson said.
The three-day celebration of the life of Leonard Bartley will climax with a thanksgiving service in May Pen on September 17. The funeral services in Clarendon will be handled by Audrey E. Williams Funeral Services.
“The family purchased a five acre property in May Pen, and they are building a mausoleum, a War House over his grave now, something that is befitting his status as an icon in dancehall,” Gadaffi said.
Merciless, born Leonard Bartley, was found unresponsive inside a guest house on Walker’s Avenue off Beechwood Avenue in St Andrew on July 19. He had turned 51 on July 1.
Last week, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, head of the St Andrew Central Police Division, said that the results of the initial autopsy were inconclusive. When an autopsy is inconclusive, it means that the internal and external tests performed failed to provide a cause of death.
SSP Nesbeth said the police are now awaiting the results of tests sent to the lab before giving an official cause of death.