In a candid look into his darkest moments, Nigerian artist Iyanya has said that he lost three close relatives in the span of two years.
He said that his brother had died soon after making his debut, and that his father had died around one week before to his signing.
On the day his mother passed away, he was standing backstage, ready to play, when he got the news four minutes before his set. In spite of the heartbreaking news, the singer continued to perform.
Iyanya revealed this during a recent interview with Hero Daniels, a prominent figure in the media.
Losing three relatives in the span of two years was the lowest period in the musician's life, he said.
Just seven or eight days before I was recruited, my dad passed away.
Not long after I emerged, my brother did the same. Afterwards, my mother.
I was working backstage at a performance on the day my mother passed away.
Just about four minutes before my performance, I was contacted repeatedly by my mom's younger brother.
He then proceeded to say, "Your mum is dead," as I answered the phone. Despite being devastated, I continued to perform.