Entertainer and political activist, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has reflected on the mistakes, risks and life-changing experiences that shaped his journey, revealing how he ultimately found purpose in helping others.
The outspoken media personality made the remarks while discussing his recently written memoir, 999, a candid account of his unconventional life and personal evolution, with ARISE NEWS on Friday.
He said: “I made mistakes in my life, Charles. I’ve been a thief, I’ve done very risky things, I’ve done very stupid things, very foolish things. In fact, I have no business being here with you tonight. But I guess there’s a purpose for my life, and I’m glad I found out what that purpose is,” he admitted.
According to Charly Boy, that purpose lies in pursuing what speaks to his soul and making a difference in the lives of others. He said helping people, particularly men facing health challenges, gives him fulfilment and has become a driving force in his life.
“To just do things that speak to my soul, things that I’m really passionate about. It gives me some kind of high that I’m able to help people out. I’m able to, especially men,” he shared.
Reflecting on his often turbulent relationship with his late father, former Supreme Court Justice, Chukwudifu Oputa, Charly Boy said he felt suffocated by his father’s larger-than-life image and resented being known simply as “that man’s son.” Driven by a desire to establish his own identity, he chose a different path and eventually earned his father’s admiration and respect.
“At first, there was no love lost between us because I felt I was living under this overwhelming image, and I was suffocating. I was always referred to as “that man’s son,” and I hated that. So of course, I was just going to do what I had to do to get my own name. Get my identity, be my own person. And thank God, it worked out the way I planned it. And then, it didn’t take my father time to really come around because he saw—it was clear to him—that there was no competition. I had more money than him. I had more fans, I had more popularity, I had more everything, more.
“And he even said it with his mouth one day we were sitting. The first day, my old man—it was some donkey years ago—said to me, ‘You know something? I’m really proud of you.’ I almost fainted. I was laying in the bed, but I almost fainted because it was a long time coming. He never spoke any kind words to me,” he reminisced.
Speaking on the man behind the flamboyant persona, Charly Boy described himself as calm, calculated and creative, insisting that “Charly Boy” is merely a carefully constructed brand rather than his true self. According to him, Charles Oputa is the person behind the character, while the various personas he adopts — including the Area Fada and his female alter ego, Linda — are expressions of different aspects of his identity.
“They’ll discover a very calm, calculated, somewhat—if I say so myself—somewhat of a genius. Charly Boy is all contrived. Charly Boy simply does not exist. Me as Mr. Oputa, I’m the creator of that brand called Charly Boy, okay? So it’s totally different.
“It all depends on where I’m going. I may show up at a place, and it’s not Charly Boy I send—I send Linda, my female side. I may go to a place, and it’s not just Linda or Charly Boy I send—I send the Area Fada,” he explained.
Charly Boy also said he chose to speak openly about prostate health and vulnerability to encourage men to seek help and speak up about their struggles.
“I think I was trying to free a lot of men, okay? Because I know that there is a problem. First of all, we’ve been brainwashed. Men don’t cry. Whatever you’re going through, chest it out because you’re a man. Who says so? Men don’t cry, men don’t cry, but this man cries. So I had to make it look easier for them to be able to talk to one another, to be able to confide in one another. Because you see, what’s really happening with men, it’s terrible. And they don’t have to go through all of that in the pretense of, ‘Oh, I’m a man, so…’ Nobody’s skin is real,” he said.
Turning to Nigeria’s challenges, Charly Boy said he remains hopeful despite widespread frustration, insisting that the country’s future rests in the hands of its young people.
“I still believe that the salvation of this country lies in the hands of its exceptional people. And who are those? The young people,” he stated.
While admitting age has slowed him down, the veteran activist said he would continue sharing his experiences and advocating for change.
“All I know is that I’ve played my part right. I ain’t stopping, but all I can do is talk. All I can do is share my experiences with young people out there. That’s the only way I can, because aging and aging gracefully is not a joke.”
On the role of autobiographies, Charly Boy argued that public figures owe the public complete honesty, even when the truth is uncomfortable. He criticised former Head of State Yakubu Gowon’s memoir for what he described as omissions and inaccuracies, insisting that historical accounts should provide full and candid reflections of events.
“They owe us the whole truth and nothing but the truth, even when it’s inconvenient. That book was just a a bag of lies,” he asserted.
Speaking on his nearly five-decade marriage to his wife, Lady Diane, Charly Boy credited open communication for the longevity of their relationship. He said they still quarrel regularly but are able to resolve their differences quickly, describing their bond as one built on understanding, honesty and companionship.
“I’ve told her now several times that listen, listening is getting boring. I mean, what do we do? And she said, ‘Let’s let’s change up things a bit.’ I think the most important thing there is our communication. We communicate. Before she finishes her sentence, I know where she’s going. And same here. Our communication is perfect. We’re like Tom and Jerry. We are quarreling today, we’re making up tomorrow,” he revealed.
Addressing his evolution from musician to activist, Charly Boy rejected attempts to define him by a single role, insisting that music was merely one of many ways he expressed himself. He described the Charly Boy brand as multifaceted, arguing that reducing it to either activism or entertainment would be unfair.
“I don’t I don’t really see myself as a musician. Music was just one way to express myself. I’m a whole lot of things. And to pigeonhole that brand— I don’t think that’s fair,” he insisted.
On his legacy, Oputa said he is less concerned with how history remembers him and more focused on preserving his experiences for future generations. He described his memoir as part of an effort to document his journey and the values he hopes to leave behind.
“When I’m dead, I’m dead. Who cares? And that is why I’m doing what I’m doing now. Trying to put as much into a book. So, it’s all about legacies. It’s all about what I’ve been able to do,” he said.
The seasoned entertainer maintained that while the ” Charly Boy” persona has evolved through several reinventions over the years, the real person behind the brand remains Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa. He argued that the values that sustained his decades-long marriage and personal life belong to the man, not the character he created for public consumption.
“I’ve reinvented myself severally. I wouldn’t stand up for Charly Boy. Charly Boy can never keep a marriage like I’ve kept a marriage together. No, that’s not his style. I will still stand up for me, Mr. Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa,” he stressed.
On who he would choose to play him in a film adaptation of his life, Charly Boy named media personality Denrele Edun as his preferred choice.
“Denrele. I think Denrele, that’s who comes right off the top of my head,” he highlighted.
Offering advice to young people, Charly Boy urged them to pursue their dreams relentlessly and resist attempts by others to define their path. However, he warned that choosing an unconventional route often comes with difficult consequences, drawing from his own experience of becoming estranged from his family during his younger years.
“I would just say, if you have a dream, yeah? Don’t let anybody steal your dream from you. Don’t let anybody stop you from your dream. And even if your parents attempt to do that, disown them.
“But there’s a consequence for everything, for even being a good person. There are consequences. So, if you’re going to go that way that I went, by disowning my parents, then you better be ready, because it’s a wicked life out there,” he advised.
Charly Boy also revealed that his memoir, 999: The Memoir of Charly Boy, is scheduled for release on July 31, adding that former President Olusegun Obasanjo would host the launch of the book.
Favour Odima
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