‘He Thought I Was The Kid From Hell’ – Charly Boy Opens Up On Tumultuous Relationship With His Father
Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa popularly known as Charly Boy has opened up about his rather tumultuous relationship with his father, former Supreme Court, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
The famous Nigerian singer-songwriter and TV presenter, during an interview on the With Chude podcast, explained that his struggles with authority began at home as a child, particularly against his father, whom he never saw eye-to-eye with.
The 74-year-old activist began:
“My thing with the status quo started from the house. I always used to wonder, why should my father be telling us what to do and giving us all these commands. Time to eat, time to pray, time for this and that and I was sick and tired of it.”
He expressed his frustration with the strict household rules, which led to frequent punishments from his father. The grandpa explained further:
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“I was the one who was whipped the most among my siblings and I was the one that was punished the most because I wouldn’t do what I was asked to do.
My father forgot that he was the one who played that in my head, he always used to tell us to query and investigate everything, so I used to have this vocal battle with him all the time.”
Charly Boy admitted that their relationship remained strained for many years and they never truly understood one another until they grew up. He continued,
“I didn’t understand his methodology and he thought I was this kid from hell that needed to be punished and trashed seriously and I don’t think we liked each other that much until everyone started getting mature and he started getting older. We then started seeing the beauty of our personalities.
“We didn’t agree on anything and I found out that this didn’t enable me to bond with my father. He didn’t know who I was and I didn’t know who the bloody hell he was.”
The singer, who has always been opened about his shaky relationship with his father, also spoke about him during an interview on The Honest Bunch Podcast, in February 2024.
Charly Boy revealed how his father’s strong religious background shaped his early life, leading him towards a path as a reverend father, which he eventually realised did not suit him.
He eventually disowned his parents many years later, after feeling misunderstood by them.
Watch the full With Chude interview below: