Expect my reality show with Goldie in May – Denrele

Click banner for more info

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