Singer Seyi Shay has disclosed how her music career and personal life were profoundly impacted by the passing of her mentor, Sound Sultan.
Seyi Shay talked about Sound Sultan, who died in 2021 from angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, as a father figure who was crucial to her career in an interview with TVC.
She claimed that she felt aimless and lost after his death.
Seyi claims that she was filming Nigerian Idol at the time of his passing and had to continue the project in spite of her sadness.
She said that she had intended to visit him in New York with a gift he had asked for, and that the thing that pained her the most was not being able to see him before he passed away.
ALSO READ: “I Carry Your Spirit”-Sean Tizzle Pays Tribute to Sound Sultan
She went on to say that she decided to move away from music as a result of the loss, the harsh public scrutiny, and the toxic demands of the music industry.
The singer added that she also found out she was expecting her daughter at that time, which made her decision even more solid.
Seyi Shay recalled Sound Sultan as a gentle and encouraging mentor who supported her career from the beginning and connected her with important business figures.
She claimed that his passing forced her to put her general and mental health first.
She said, “During the filming of Nigerian Idol, my mentor, also my best friend, who is like a father figure to me, and also the person who brought me to the Nigerian music industry, died. He passed away; Sound Sultan.
“When I first came to Nigeria, I was living with him and his wife in FESTAC for a year. He was the one who co-signed me and introduced me to everybody in the industry to make sure that those who were his people look out for me.
“So, when he passed away, it was really hard for me to complete the filming but I made it to the end. What hurt the most is that I didn’t get to see him before he passed away. I was supposed to fly to see him in New York that weekend when we had a break. He asked me to bring him something specifically. It just torn me apart. I felt like I didn’t have the will to continue to do music without Sound Sultan, my peace of mind, and my mental health. So, I decided to go on a little break.
“Also, during that period, I got pregnant and I told myself there’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I’m in and under the scrutiny that I was constantly under. So, I just thought I should take a break.”
