Goldie: we didn’t take you seriously. We apologize.
It was a hot, Sunday afternoon when the BBM request beeped on my
phone. I was totally engaged with the English Premiership football match
showing on my TV. Not in the mood for any chit-chat. Checking out the
identity of the sender showed me a ‘Goldie Harvey’ and my first impulse
was I was face-to-face with another impersonator trying to take the
place of one of Nigeria’s many hardworking entertainment celebrities. My
curiosity got the better of me and I confirmed the request consciously
granting the ‘impostor’ some measure of access into my life.I figured
he\she will delete the connection in due course like others usually do.
As at then, Goldie and I had never actually met in the true sense of the
word. We weren’t friends. Neither were we enemies. We had bumped into
one another a couple of times at events and that was it. Nevertheless, I
was still surprised as to how the ‘impostor’ got my PIN.
Still caught in the reverie of the football match, my phone buzzed
few minutes later and it was celebrated comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka. He
wanted to introduce Goldie to me (like I didn’t know her) and informed
me of her desire to work with my PR firm, Bigsam Media. He it was who
had passed my PIN to her. Goldie herself requested my number and later
called.
God, that voice on the phone! It wasn’t sweet or golden but plain….
and heavy laden with sadness. ‘I’m tired,’ she said to me like we had
known for years. ‘I’ve worked with many people, spent a lot of money but
not gotten much in return’.
She wanted to work with us as she had heard so much about us and was
hoping we would stand out from the myriad of half-baked,briefcase PR
firms(experts) running rings around entertainers and promising
celebrities a dinner date in the White House ‘if only you can spend good
money.’
I listened calmly and gave her an appointment at Sheraton Hotels,
Ikeja but for some reasons I showed up three hours late. She was
understandably angry and was on the verge on leaving when I breezed in
and apologised. We fixed another date to meet and finalise details on
how we could work together regarding her blossoming brand. Sadly, I
never made the appointment. Way before our meeting, Bobby Taylor and
Gbenga Bada, fellow journalist friends had tried all they could to get
me to interview and feature Goldie on my page while I was still in the
employment of The Sun Newspapers. I just played an unwilling horse all
through.
Looking back now, I realised that like many others, I didn’t take her
serious at all. Many people had dismissed Goldie from the very
beginning of her career, contending she was all beauty and no talent.
Peeps were quick to condemn her art or lack of it. Check the popular
blogs and see the deluge of negative comments that follow any post on
Goldie and you’ll get a feel of what I mean.
Despite the ‘pull-her-down’ at all costs syndrome, Goldie kept
pushing the envelope, working and living her life. If she cared about
what people said about her, she didn’t show it. They would lambast her
for wearing a particular dress and Goldie would defiantly wear something
similar next time. They said she was everywhere, strutting the red
carpets like a pepper seller but she was undeterred. Goldie was living
her life by her rules and not by what ‘almighty’ commentators said. As
if she knew she won’t be here for a long time.
I was told a popular producer had told her to go sell her Benz ML before he would sign her on and produce her song. And that was after months of keeping her waiting. She didn’t relent but decided to take her destiny in her own hands and thus embarked on a journey from one radio station to another, buying stuffs for the OAPs for her songs to get airplay.
Goldie eventually teamed up with Kennis Music, thankfully, Keke Ogungbe signed her on.
Upon hearing news of her death, I called Denrele, Baba Keke, KSB but
their numbers were switched off. I called Funke Akindele to get across
to Denrele’s friend hoping to hear that the rumour wasn’t true. She
already did, and was close to tears on phone. A newspaper editor told me
Goldie’s step-mum already confirmed it. After speaking with Linda Ikeji
who broke the news, I still chose to doubt it.
I saw a tweet that Goldie was scheduled to perform at a certain
Princeton Hotel in Ikeja and I dashed out to search for the location in
spite of loud protestations from my wife that it was past 1am. She must
definitely be at Princeton performing and would be willing to dispel the
wicked ‘rumor’ doing the rounds about her passing.
Sadly, all my efforts proved abortive. Goldie wasn’t there. She was gone. Gone to be with the saints.
What was I looking for in the dead of night? What,what,what? All I
wanted was just one more chance to make up for my folly of dismissing
her and not taking her seriously. Suddenly, wonderful and innovative
ideas on how to enhance ‘Brand Goldie’ are popping up in my brain. I
want to work with her
We won’t always have people around. Why can’t we celebrate men and
women while we have them? Bickerings, pull-him-down, dismissal and
nonchalant attitudes because we hold the ace should stop. We won’t
always have all the time we want with people we love and life is too
short to harbor hate. My heart went out to people whose bluff I have
called and those I’m not treating right at present. What if I don’t see
them again? Dear Lord, I need to make up for past follies. I’m sorry I
didn’t take some people seriously. I need to make some calls and mend
fences right away.
Another lesson from Goldie’s demise: live your life. Goldie didn’t
allow others write her script for her. She gave life her best. One
single after the other, appearances at several red carpet events, Big
Brother Africa, upcoming reality show etc Goldie didn’t slow down. She
gave life her all like she knew she won’t live up to thirty. We all
don’t have the promise to live till 80, if you drop dead today, can you
confidently say you gave life your best?
Like the rest of us Goldie wasn’t perfect but didn’t deserve the way
some people tried to pull her down. She was hustling on the grind of
life, trying to make a name for herself like the rest of us. She wasn’t
perfect just like the rest of us with many skeletons in our cupboards.
Yet, some people were busy moving from one blog to another knocking her
hustle. Now, that she’s gone are you happy?
Goldie, continue to rest in peace. We all owe death but so sad that he showed up too early at your doorstep.
May God comfort your parents, siblings, hubby and loved ones.
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