KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has expressed sadness at the passing of Montego Bay entertainment entrepreneur, Walton “Walt” Crooks who died suddenly last Friday at the age of 69.

No official cause of death has been announced.

Bartlett remembered Crooks for his bold undertaking in the establishment of the Disco Inferno club in Montego Bay. In the 1970s and 1980s, it was one of Jamaica’s hippest venues, with several high-profile acts performing there.

“Walt Crooks stood out as a giant in the entertainment industry, going beyond the ordinary as he engaged top class international singers to perform at Disco Inferno,” said Bartlett.

“Walt was very passionate about his venture and this led him to successfully bring the internationally recognised Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens Pageant to Montego Bay, giving many young Jamaicans the opportunity to showcase their talents on stage and earning recognition,” the minister continued.

Although Disco Inferno folded, Walt Crooks maintained his devotion to entertainment and tourism as a director of Summerfest Productions, working behind the scenes in the staging of the annual Reggae Sumfest, which launched in Montego Bay in 1993.

In his tribute, Bartlett expressed the view that Walt Crooks was truly ahead of his time and it is regretted that he was not able to fulfil the dream he had in expanding Disco Inferno into a world class entertainment complex.

Expressing condolence to Crooks’ family, Minister Bartlett said the tourism industry and in particular the entertainment sector, mourns the loss of a true pioneer who was totally committed to the industry.