Weird
presenter and Channel O personality, Denrele Edun, recalls the last
moments of his friend, Goldie, who died on Valentine’s Day. He tells
ADEMOLA OLONILUA about the late singer, her shocking death and his
lifestyle
The last time I had a haircut
It
was in 2005 at the University of Lagos. I had to do teaching practice
and one very wicked lecturer was on my case. I think the lecturer did
not just like Linda Ikeji and I because we were best friends in class. I
was in the Faculty of Education and of course, I had to do teaching
practice in 200 and 300 level. There was a long nationwide strike and we
got back to school in 2004-2005. The first day I went to the school, I
packed my hair to the back. When I got to the school, Ijeshatedo Grammar
school Okota, the principal told me politely that they had heard about
me but I had to cut my hair before I could come and teach in the school.
I cut the hair and it was quite short. As at then, I was at the peak of
my modelling career, so it was frustrating. But that was in early 2005.
I do normal things sometimes
Of
course, I do normal things. I’m a human being. I’m a regular guy. I
love family. We all love to hang out with our family members, scold our
sisters, have the regular disagreements with our dad and grandma, argue
with our mothers over the phone. I do that. I hang out with my friends.
Aside from that, I see myself as a normal person, just being who he is.
I’m just self expressing, that is it but there are times I also do some
things I cannot explain. I just look in the mirror and I’m like, is
there something wrong with me? I know there are some people who do not
drink or smoke, who don’t drive or swim, which are the things I cannot
really do. All in all, I think I’m just naturally hyper, mine is like
just natural energy. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I do not have tattoos
and piercings. There are some things that I just really do not fancy. I
have never smoked in my life. I remember there were some events that I
had gone to and they gave me champagne. I would hold it my hand and
would be talking to somebody. I would want to put it in my mouth and I
would raise another topic, at the end of the day I would just drop it. I
think if I drink and smoke, I would be a bit subdued and then the
energy might reduce. I don’t think it can get a lot more hyper. I really
cannot be bothered about alcohol and cigarettes.
My performance at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards
My
mindset for that date was not properly structured. I was just getting
over the death of my friend, Goldie. Goldie and I had attended the
nominee gala night at the Porsche Centre and we were both supposed to
present an award and do a performance together. When Mrs. Biola Alabi
called me that they would like me to headline the red carpet event, I
was a bit terrified because I was not sure I was in the right frame of
mind. Sincerely, I think that was one of my worst performances ever. I’m
not trying to praise myself that I’m good at what I do. I would
evaluate myself. I did not watch it because I was scared to I think I
did a couple of things wrong. All in all, I tried to have fun and tried
to imagine if my friend was around and then I changed six times because I
had seen the dress that Goldie was going to wear that night. So, I told
my designer, Remi Buttons, to make my jacket all in that pattern.
Why Goldie and I did not go to the Grammys together
We
shot three videos together before her death, we released ‘Skibobo’
first. We were supposed to go to the Grammys together but because we
were supposed to buy identical cars, I told her to go to the Grammys
that I did not want to burn money. It wasn’t about what Goldie
represented or her affluence because a lot of people did not understand
our relationship. It was the other way round because she was going
through a phase that I knew would pass soon. She got back from the
Grammys so hyper and full of life. She was so excited, so animated. She
had Ciara’s manager’s contact on her Blackberry. She told me that we
were going to do a song with Ciara, we would shoot the video and I must
come and dance better than Ciara. I laughed and I was shouting ‘yes’.
There was so much going on for her. Thank God her brother was in the
house because it is another story we would be hearing by now. Her
brother was there. We rushed her to the hospital and they said that we
brought her in dead. I was still in shock. We took her to the mortuary. I
wasn’t aware of what people were saying but some of the gist came to
me. I wrote a tribute, an open letter and people did not get it. People
kept lashing me though I really don’t care. When it was time to bury
her, I was the one that actually dressed Goldie up. I was insistent
about it. My friend was a star, but her family did not want her to look
too flashy and I had to respect her family. I was there by 5am. The two
generators were not working, there were a lot of signs that it wasn’t
just her time to go. Even the mortician was telling me that my friend
was not happy and we had to bury her. That was the hardest thing for me.
The day I now decided to leave because I was staying in a hotel and we
did a candle light procession for her, I had to be somewhere and I knew
people would want to come and visit. I did not want them to come to the
house that morning, but that was when robbers struck. The robbers were
obviously sent. Maybe somebody thought I killed Goldie because I heard a
gist that maybe she died of drug overdose because I was feeding her
with drugs. I have lived in that house for about 20 years and armed
robbers have never been there. I’m always outside even at night till
1am. People see me and hail me. The armed robbers came that day and they
were sent from Ajah. Before they left, they told me that if not for the
elderly ones in the house and the fact that they heard I’m a nice
person, they would have shot me in the head. They left after carting
away all they could.
Why I believe the robbers were sent
I
believe they were sent because they said so. Nobody knew I was coming
to my family house. I didn’t step out; if I did, it would have been a
different case. I came to the house in the afternoon and I was just very
down. I found it hard to sleep. It was the moment they kicked in our
door I just shouted, my sister quickly locked her door and sent a tweet.
Eventually, the police came but it was traumatic for the older people
in the house. It was just a chain of events and I did not get what was
going on.
How Goldie and I became so close
I
met her in 2006 when she wanted to shoot her video for the song, ‘Spin
me like a CD’. She got my number and called me. Then, I had done ‘Why
me’ video with D’banj and every artiste wanted me in their video.
Obviously, they thought if I was in their video, it would get massive
airplay. Then, I was working at Soundcity and they thought that I would
push the music out. So, she called me and invited me to the house. She
was lying down as she was not feeling too fine and she told me she
wanted me in her video, that she was just starting out. I just liked her
immediately. Then, she typed a figure on my phone and gave me. It was
N50,000. That was good money at that time because D’banj did not pay me.
For her to have stated that amount for a video, I was amazed. I gave
her the phone back and told her not to worry, it wasn’t about the money
that I would do it. I got late on set and she was worried, calling to
find out where I was. I think she understood that I was really her
friend because she had a lot of convenient friends who were with her
because she had a posh apartment or posh cars. I saw somebody who did
not really have so many friends and I said to myself that I was going to
be a very good friend to this girl. After the whole Big Brother thing,
she came back to a negative reception. I said to myself that I would
stick with this girl and do all the damage control we could do and it
kind of worked. We tried and I’m glad. Of course, she lived an
unfinished life but she died happy. I am glad I was with her till the
very end. I did every show with this girl. I remember the show she did
before she went for the Grammys, the Loud and Proud show at Ember Creek;
she had never done a life band before. I kept pushing her, we closed
the show and she performed well. That day, I had acute malaria. We got
to the house and she was crying. She came and hugged me and was thanking
me. You know those moments.
The reality television show with Goldie
They
are definitely going to air it. I just want everything to settle first.
I cannot go into details of what I have gone through. It has been hard.
People will not understand. Even all the close people I had all around
me started making funny comments about me. I needed to mourn my friend,
some were saying I was pretending to mourn her and leveraging on the
attention. People coming to visit me and I would now be sad. I said to
myself, get rid of all those people. Then, I went to my family house and
that was when the armed robbers came. Some people said I had to travel,
but I said I wouldn’t because I’m not a coward, my friend would not
want me to travel. I’d say that I mourned my friend the best way I can,
nobody has to know. On the reality show, I was approached by somebody
who wanted to follow me around for five days and I said let’s involve
Goldie. Sincerely, I made sure Goldie had more airtime. I’m not saying
this so that people will say I was her good friend. We got out of the
whole Big Brother drama and the calls were not pouring in as usual. If I
wanted Goldie at a show, they would say ‘that girl that did not
represent Nigeria well’. So for the show, I told the guy to follow
Goldie. That was the period I had malaria – around the time we had the
show. I just told them I was staying in the house. She did a lot and I’m
happy because when people see it, they would know that she was
independent and focused. You know when you just want people to like you
for what you do and you are not just getting it. I think by May, it
would start airing.
About Goldie’s family suing me
I
really respect the Filani family. I understand what they were going
through at that point in time, losing their daughter and first child to
the cold hands of death. It is not something you can easily knock
yourself out of. I didn’t have any problems with them whatsoever. I
guess everybody was just caught up with their own trauma. The media just
started speculating on a lot of things and taking it a bit too far; but
that is life really. I just had to shut my eyes and ears to all those
things.
From Soundcity to Channel O
I
was a little worried switching over to Mnet because I know most of the
presenters that work with the brand are classy. I said to myself that
I’m a local champion and might not fit the brand. But ever since I
started working with Channel O, it has always been ‘express yourself’.
We did some shoots where they tried to tone me down a bit but I think
they just realised it was the personality that was always taking and
making the day. I went to South Africa and every production person just
tilted towards me, so they just let me be. I don’t think I’ve been
restricted in anyway. My relationship with Soundcity turned a bit sour
but I have moved on with my life. I always thought I’d never be friends
with Soundcity, but I am. Now with Channel O, it is more financially
rewarding. I used to be paid in naira, but now I’m paid in dollars. It
has expanded my profile. I have been to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda,
Zimbabwe. I went to Zimbabwe and I saw a CD like the pirated ones in
Alaba with my picture on it and it had a Zimbabwean name on it. I was
surprised. The acceptance and recognition has skyrocketed.
Punch Nigeria
