Nigerian singer Spyro has opened up about his difficult childhood and how his relationship with his father affected his confidence while growing up.
The singer, whose real name is Oludipe Oluwasanmi David, spoke during an interview on Nevon HQ. He discussed growing up in a pastor’s home, struggling with fear and seeing himself as the black sheep of his family.
Spyro said some of his father’s words made him question his abilities from an early age. Although he believes his father may not have intended to hurt him, he said the constant negative remarks affected how he saw himself. 
He explained that he had little positive reinforcement to build his confidence at home.
“There was nothing to build from because there was no positivity,” he said while describing himself as the black sheep of the family.
He feared he would become a failure
Spyro said the experience gradually shaped his expectations for his own future. He stated that he saw himself as a failure and that made him anxious. Rather than seeing himself succeeding, he began to expect failure.
That fear followed him into secondary school. He said he worried about whether he would finish school and later questioned whether he could graduate from university. According to the singer, his father’s choice of words contributed to those feelings. He said they sometimes left him feeling “useless.”
Spyro also linked some of the pressure at home to being the child of a pastor. He said:
“Children of pastors often face pressure to conform to the kind lifestyle their parents have chosen for them live.”
His relationship with his father suffered
The Nevon HQ interview adds to previous accounts Spyro has given about his relationship with his father on Tea With Tay.
In an earlier interview, the singer said his father stopped paying his school fees after his academic performance declined. Spyro said his father believed he should stop investing in his education if his grades did not improve. His mother eventually took responsibility for the fees.
Although Spyro later described his father’s decision as an attempt at discipline, he admitted that it affected their relationship. He said his father’s strict approach made him wonder whether his father hated him. At one point, he even asked his mother whether the man was really his father.
Spyro has also recalled other difficult experiences from his childhood.
During the recent conversation, he spoke about occasions when his father accused him whenever church money went missing. According to him, his father sometimes made the accusations in front of other people.
He also recalled a childhood incident involving a school worker who allegedly injured his head. Spyro said his father did not believe his explanation and later punished him.
The singer said one of those punishments left a scar on his back that remains visible more than two decades later.
His mother became an important source of support
While describing the difficult relationship with his father, Spyro has consistently spoken differently about his mother. He previously credited her with supporting his education after his father withdrew financial assistance.
His mother had to provide for Spyro, his twin sister and his older brother. The singer said watching her struggle became one of the reasons he wanted to succeed.
He has since spoken publicly about wanting his mother to enjoy the rewards of those sacrifices. After finding success in music, Spyro bought her a car and later a house.
Watch the full interview below:
READ ALSO: ‘If Pastors Are Not Speaking Up, They Are Part of the System’ – Spyro
About The Author
