KINGSTON, Jamaica— Sound system aficionados are mourning the death of Walford ‘Father Wally’ Jibberson, the owner of Inner City Sound System which ruled the late 1980s and 1990s.

Father Wally was rumoured to be in his 80s at the time of his death. The cause of his death has not been ascertained.

Inner City Sound System was considered one of the most iconic megawattage sound systems of its time blasting the electronically-enhanced riddims of the best dancehall DJs across the globe.

“Father Wally was always a jovial person, I used to see him a lot and we always had a good relationship. He played a key role in the development of sound system culture all over the island and Inner City was one of the most dominant sounds in the 1980s: Inner City, Stone Love, Metromedia,” Winston ‘Father Pow’ Powell, founder of Stone Love Movements, told Observer Online.

“Inner City was one of the biggest sound systems, with Mark Dragon and Danny as the two main selectors. I remember Inner City winning a big all-island sound system clash in the 1990s, it was a big sound system. Bwoy, sorry him gone, he was a fun-loving guy who loved to play dominoes,” he added.

Music historian and producer Rodguel ‘Blackbeard’ Sinclair spoke of Father Wally and the sound system’s history, disclosing that veteran selector Tony Matterhorn played on Inner City Sound before moving on to Poison Dart and King Addies before going solo.

“Yeah man, I remember that Tony Matterhorn got his start on Inner City. Father Wally used to be with a woman name Popsie Brown who operated a 24-hour bar right at the corner of Ashley Road and Spanish Town Road. Matterhorn’s mother used to live beside the place Wally woman bought and ah so the connection was made,” Sinclair, said.

“Father Wally was a giant in the sound system game, he controlled the whole of the west, Greenwich Town, the whole ah Spanish Town Road and West Kingston,” the historian added.

Tony Matterhorn expressed his condolences to the family of Father Wally, calling him “one of the greatest characters in sound system culture”.

“The sound system was next door to my family, in about 1987, the year before Gilbert, mi used to just go and look on the pretty lights. Father Wally ah one of the greatest, him give me my first shot, and all of the selectors, Richie, Cavey, Mark Dragon and Danny will tell you say him is just a straight forward man,” Matterhorn said.

He added that Father Wally was one of the first to give artiste money for dubplate.

“Inner City was Shabba and Ninjaman dem sound, every artiste from Kingston 13, Singing Melody, Pinchers, Johnny P, Inner City was fi dem sound, he was a great man,” Matterhorn added.

– Claude Mills