Veteran entertainer Daddy Showkey has celebrated his 50-year journey in the entertainment industry, urging parents and stakeholders to identify, nurture and properly document children’s talents to help them realise their full potential.

A photo of Daddy Showkey

Nigerian music icon and galala pioneer Daddy Showkey has reflected on his remarkable five-decade journey in the entertainment industry, revealing that his career began long before he became a household name in music.

Highlighting the significance of his enduring career, Daddy Showkey said his longevity in the industry is worthy of celebration.

“It’s in our world to be celebrated,” he said during an interview on Rubbin’ Minds on Sunday.

The veteran entertainer added that his stage career dates back to 1976, when he performed as a child acrobat, although he had been entertaining audiences even earlier.

“I started in 1976 as an acrobat. I did acrobatic dancing and performed in many places,” he said.

“I actually started even earlier than that, but I count from when I began appearing on television.”

According to Daddy Showkey, one of his earliest television appearances was on the Barbie Show during the era of the Nigerian Television (NTV), before it became the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Recalling how people often question his claim of spending 50 years in entertainment, the singer explained that many fail to realise he was already performing professionally as a child.

“I’ve been telling people that by 2026, it would be 50 years on stage, and they ask, ‘How old are you?’ But I was a child star. I started as a young child,” he said.

The veteran entertainer used the opportunity to advocate for the early discovery and proper documentation of children’s talents, stressing that many gifted youngsters miss opportunities because their journeys are not recorded.

“I always pray that people discover their children in time and document their movement,” he said, adding that his late mother, who was a teacher, had little time to follow his early performances as others frequently took him to events.

Daddy Showkey also reflected on the influential figures who shaped his early career, paying tribute to veteran master of ceremonies John Chukwu and musician Jimmy Johnson.

He recalled performing at Jimmy Johnson’s album launch at the Federal Palace Hotel after meeting both legends through his appearance on the television drama Village Headmaster.

The entertainer further recounted participating in the historic FESTAC ’77 celebrations and performing acrobatics during the opening of Eko Holiday Inn, then known as Kuramo Lodge.