8 Facts You Should Know About Ebenezer Obey @80

1. Ebenezer Olasupo Remilekun Aremu Fabiyi was born 80 years ago at the World famous Mercy Street Hospital, Lagos Island to his Owu-egba parents. He was a child born after two decades of barrenness, hence his name Remilekun. In a 2017 interview, he revealed that for about 20 years, his mother, Abigail Oyindamola, and her first husband could not have a perfect marriage due to their inability to conceive, which led to a strained relationship between the duo and eventually resulted in their divorce. After the divorce, Ebenezer Obey’s mum moved to Idogo, in Abeokuta, in the present-day Ogun State, where she married Mr. Fabiyi, a carpenter and cocoa trader who already had two wives in Lagos. The new marriage was soon blessed with a daughter (his late sister), and later chief Commander, Ebenezer Obey was born.

2. He moved to Lagos and was under the tutelage of the Fatai Rolling Dollars of ‘Won kere si number wa fame and his Federal Rhythm Brothers. He formed his band, International Brothers in 1964. The name of the band moved on from that to inter reformers band.

3. His mercurial hit, ‘Board members, and the flip ‘Edumare soro mi dayo, were so successful that it remained his signature tune for decades. It was also the only album he mentioned the names of his eldest children.

4. The guitar work on the album, anchored by Monday John, is still considered by aficionados as the best example of using the guitar as a ‘talking’ instrument.

5. His English nickname stuck when as a student monitor, he consistently told his fellow pupils to “obey”. “Obey” also came out of his ability to control a room with just his voice. He then became the Commander that must be obeyed, and later Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey.

6. It was the Chief Commander who reportedly insisted that the creator of Fuji music, the late Dr. Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, leave the Army and became a full-time professional musician. He was so committed to this path for Barrister that he refused to take no for an answer.

7. He has been rumoured to have died in London about three times in 2020 but since debunked the fake news. Meanwhile, he lost his wife, known as Lady Evangelist Juliana Obey-Fabiyi aged 67 on 23rd August 2011 at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after being sick for some time. He has since remained a widower.

8. He was honoured with Professor Emeritus at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State in 2014.