Spyro Opens Up About Painful Childhood, Says Father’s Treatment Still Affects Him

Nigerian singer Oludipe David, popularly known as Spyro, has opened up about painful experiences from his childhood and the difficult relationship he had with his father while growing up.

The singer said some experiences from more than two decades ago remain vivid in his memory and continue to affect him emotionally, particularly when he is around his father.

Spyro recalled being frequently beaten as a child and said the physical punishment left memories that have remained with him into adulthood.

“My dad would beat you to kill you. I’ll have marks from twenty-something years ago. When you try to bring up the conversation, there are things still very clear in my head, and he acts like it’s nothing,” he said.

The singer said being around his father could still trigger feelings of anger and that he had spent considerable time trying to process what happened during his childhood.

“You know when you are in the presence of your dad, and there’s this anger that just comes, and you can’t explain it. It is a lot to unpack, but I had to heal on my own,” Spyro said, adding that he believes the experiences cannot simply be ignored.

He also recalled instances in which his father allegedly accused him of stealing money and portrayed him negatively to other people. Spyro said the accusations were particularly painful because his father was a pastor and was someone he expected to trust him.

The singer further described situations in which he was allegedly embarrassed over accusations of taking something, only for his father to later discover that the item was not stolen and offer him a gift as an apology.

“He will embarrass me, and when he eventually finds what he is looking for, he will buy you milk. What is milk supposed to do to the damage that has been done?” he recalled.

Spyro also recounted what he described as one of the most painful incidents of his childhood involving a woman who worked as a cleaner at his primary school. He said he returned home with an injury after the woman allegedly hurt him, but his father did not believe his explanation.

According to the singer, he later became afraid to identify the woman when his father took him back to the school. After the woman denied causing the injury, Spyro said his father punished him severely.

He said the experience had a lasting impact and “almost turned me into something else”, but credited his mother’s love and support with helping him cope with the difficult environment.

Spyro’s disclosure offers a glimpse into personal experiences he says shaped him growing up, while highlighting the lasting emotional effects that difficult childhood experiences can have into adulthood.