In the fascinating journey of Ghanaian gospel musician Ernest Opoku Jnr. as told on The Delay Show, an intriguing pattern emerges – the number '8' appears to be a recurring motif.
From his appearance on The Delay Show after 8 long years of invitation to the age at which he embarked on his musical voyage, and even his formative years
Read full articleas a shoemaker and a protege, the number '8' weaves an enigmatic thread through the fabric of his life story.
1. He showed up on Delay Show 8 years after invitation
Despite his close relationship with host Deloris Frimpong Manso (Delay), Ernest Opoku appeared on the popular TV show almost eight years after an invitation was extended to him. The reason for not being on the show earlier, according to him, is a result of his busy schedule.
“I travel a lot because opportunities abound,” he explained.
2. He released his first song when he was 28 years old
Ernest Opoku released his first single ‘Onyame Nim’, paving the way for his fruitful music career. This song which became a monster hit was released in 2004. In 2009, he released ‘Yesu Do’, cementing his brand. During this period, he was twenty-eight years old.
3. He was a shoemaker for 8 years; when he started, he was 18 years old
Prior to becoming a gospel musician, Ernest Opoku was a shoemaker. Despite his father's affluence, Ernest Opoku, faced with the harsh realities of life without his paternal support, in 1999, made an unconventional choice to become a shoemaker for eight years, the gospel musician has said.
“I pursued this craft for eight years. It was a difficult time because my dad's death left us without any financial support. My mother was unemployed, and I had five siblings,” he said, disclosing that he was eighteen years old at the time.
“Despite my father's wealth, he never did anything meaningful to secure our future. There were no savings left for us, and the contents of his will excluded us entirely. He owned houses, but we are unaware of their fate, whether he sold them or not. I was eighteen years old.”
4. He lived with Oware Jnr and served him for 8 years
After the shoemaker venture, Ernest Opoku said God revealed to him His plans to use him to win souls and make him a prominent figure. This encounter, according to him, happened when he went to the popular Atwea Mountains to pray.
“From there, I moved with Oware Junior. I served him for about eight years. I washed his clothes, and accompanied him to events by holding his bag.”
Ernest Opoku said he spent eight years with Oware Junior and his meeting with one Yeboah Sekyere changed his life. Through that meeting, he recorded his first single ‘Onyame Di Hene’ which was released in 2004, a song that became a hit.
5. He built an 8-bedroom house
Meeting Yeboah Sekyere marked a significant turning point in Ernest Opoku's life, he recalled. Eight years after living with Oware Junior at Buokrom, a suburb of Kumasi, Ernest said he relocated to Asawase. He now has an 8-bedroom house, an edifice situated at Kromoase in the Ashanti Region. That building, according to him, was constructed not long after he left Oware Junior's end.
Ernest Opoku Jnr.
