The Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) Rivers State Chapter, has joined other well meaning Nigerians to felicitate with the families of late music icon, Chief William Onyeabor who died peacefully in his sleep last Monday January 16th in Enugu at the age of 72.
The chairman of the association in the state, Mr. Robin Maja described late Onyeabor as a legend of the Nigerian music industry, a philosopher and role model to most musicians in Nigeria and beyond.
He noted that one of the legend’s songs “when the going is good and smooth, many people will be your friend, but when the going is bad, many of them will run a way” is a fact of life as most of them in the industry are experiencing the reality of that song today.
The PMAN boss urged government and the private sector to always celebrate music icons in the state when they are alive to enable them enjoy the fruits of their labour not when they are dead. He said most of these musicians died prematurely due to poverty and most times they die with their songs and contributions to the industry.
Chief William Onyeabor, best known for his timeless record “when the going is smooth and good”, passed away in his Enugu home on January 16th, 2017. He was one of the most widely known musicians of all time, even though the man himself would become reclusive and be unreachable for the 39 years that preceded his death.
Since becoming ‘born again’ in the mid 80s, he refused to discuss his music career, choosing to focus on his private life and his thriving flour mill business. Born in Enugu in 1945, William Onyeabor is said to have studied anematography in Russia circa in the late 60s, returning post civil war to start a film company and later delved into music.
Although his music career took off during the era where Fela’s Afrobeat was the rage, Onyeabor’s peculiar sound stood him apart. He was ahead of his time in many ways: making use of synthesizers and keyboards – hallmarks of the do-it-youreself mode of making music that would become ubiquitous in the coming decades.
His debut album ‘crashes in love’ was released in 1977 and was followed in each successive year by ‘Atomic Bomb’, ‘Grashes in love’ (two) ‘Tomorrow’ Body and soul’, Great Lover’, Hypertension’, Good Name,’ Anything you sow’.
After the final album in 1985, he became a born again Christian and according to the creed of his new found religion, he ‘forsook all things of the world.
But the world did not forsake him, several bands in Europe and America held on to his psychedelic sounds and vestiges of the roaring 70s. The most enduring of them is Luaka Bop led by David Byrne. The collective put together a compilation of William Onyeabor’s songs and released ‘who is Williams Onyeabor”. In 2013.