A renowned folk singer beloved by his local Richmond community has been killed in a hit and run. As reported by ABC 8, 75 year old Harry "Gerry" Laverty was found "down and unresponsive" after police were called to the scene of the crime.
The incident occurred on November 6 in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom on Friday. The driver allegedly involved with the hit and run was later charged after police used "investigative techniques" to find him. He was later named as 47 year old John McSparren.
A friend of the folk singer, Lisa Dearden, took to social media to confirm his passing and pay
She revealed that the folk singer, alongside his brother Michael, were "beloved musicians" at the local market. "Their folk music was part of the fabric of our market".
"Thank you, Gerry, for all those wonderful years," she finished her post. She also posted a photo of Laverty with his signature guitar and harmonica, performing at a local venue.
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Tributes Poured in for the Renowned Folk Singer
Tributes have poured in from across the local folk scene. Musicians remembered Laverty as a true cornerstone of their community.
One commenter on social media wrote, "The msuic helped Manakin Market have a warm atmosphere and he helped create that by providing musicians."
Per 12 On Your Side, the Richmond music scene also paid tribute to him. A fellow folk singer, Joshua Eadie, said of Laverty that, "He has songs that I might not hear for months, [but] as soon as I think of Gerry, the song just pops into my head. What he writes just sticks with you, because he writes about things that matter to him."
An owner of a local venue, Robert Mercurio, said that he was "a huge fan of the Richmond music scene and put out a lot of great stuff and touched a lot of lives".
This is truly a huge loss to the music scene. May he rest in peace.
