20/10/2022
How OLIVER DE COQUE's most kept secret took him to an early grave as told by his son.
(April 14, 1947 - June 20, 2008. Age: 61)
HIS NAME, HIS MUSIC & HIS LIFESTYLE
Chief Dr. Oliver Sunday Akanite popularly known as Oliver De Coque was a Nigerian highlife musician and guitarist who has more than 50 albums to his credit and whose career lasted over 4 decades, making him one of the most popular highlife kings in Africa. Oliver and his music band group, 'Ogene Sound Super of Africa' blended modern highlife and traditional Igbo music.
The music star had 12 kids; 7 boys and 5 girls and they all enjoyed their father's presence. "It was awesome. My siblings and I didn't see him as a famous person. He was a normal, caring, jovial and loving dad to us," Darlington Akanite, one of his sons disclosed.
While growing up, Oliver was popularly called, 'The Game Master' because he was good at the game of Draft. Draft in Igbo language is 'Okwe.' So, People began to call him 'Oliver Di ka Okwe.' He then changed the name to sound more like a French name; that was how he came up with, 'Oliver De Coque.'
HIS SIGNATURE LOOK
He loved to buy clothes and spent a lot of money maintaining his looks. Infact, he spent #30,000 on his beard weekly and that amounted to #120,000 monthly. He visited his Salon twice a week and always said his beard was his Signature look. He said that if someone decided to keep a beard, it was right to maintain it.
HIS SICKNESS & HOW HE DIED
He fell ill at the end of 2007. He was diabetic and hypertensive. Most artistes don't like to disclose their health challenge and his son is of the opinion that if Oliver had told people about his health challenge, he would have gotten help quickly. "He was ill for three months. He then recovered in February 2008 and began to go for shows. He died on June 20 but he had planned to travel to the U.S on July 2 for checkup," Darlington added. He went further to tell the press that it was as if his father knew he was going to