Entertainment of Thursday, 17 October 2013

Source: George Clifford Owusu

Who killed Thomas Frimpong?

A number of Ghanaian musicians who visited the residence of the late Thomas Frimpong during a week’s commemoration of his death are suspicious that the death of their colleague may be supernatural.

Most of them were of the view that someone who hated the musician because of his achievements and fame might have caused his death.

“So many people are fighting us spiritually, trying to bring us down. I do not have spiritual eyes to see what is happening in the spiritual realm, but I suspect Thomas did not die a natural death,” one of the musicians lamented.

Thomas Frimpong’s untimely death occurred while doctors were trying to save his life at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra at 2:00am on September 18 after an undisclosed illness. Before his death, Thomas had been taken ill for some time, and had been on admission at the hospital for over a week.

BEATWAVES’ investigations revealed that the late highlife musician did not die through spiritual means as being speculated by a section of the musicians but died a natural death.

The paper gathered that the late Thomas Frimpong died of intracerebral hemorrhage and uncontrolled hypertension at the age of 70.

Thomas’ wife, Joyce Frimpong said she could not believe that her husband was really dead when the nurses at the hospital taking care of him broke the sad news to her.

When DAILY GUIDE called on her at her residence last week, she told the paper, “I have not been myself since then and even till now after spending thousands of cedis to keep him alive. I can never forget Thomas,” she said.

She said she was yet to come to terms with the reality that her beloved husband is really dead. Available reports also indicated that Thomas would be buried in his hometown, Kumawu, in the Ashanti Region in December, this year.

But a number of the musicians have called on the family members to hold the funeral in Accra since Thomas had lived in Accra throughout his life. The musicians disclosed that if the family decided to move the funeral ceremony to Kumawu, they (the musicians) would have no option than organise theirs in Accra.

Thomas Frimpong was energetic and outspoken and at the mention of his name one would see smiles on the faces of many people.

As a musician, Thomas hoped to reach the top of the highlife music ladder. He was with the Noble Kings for about 17 years and helped solidify the popular ‘sikyi’ beat. Some of the songs he either wrote or co-wrote with guitarist Eric Agyeman for the Noble Kings included ‘Obaa Baako Agyegye Me’, ‘Mebewu A Mennim’ and ‘Nsem Keka Adooso’.

He went solo after leaving the band and recorded the ‘Sasakroma’ album before leaving for London. While in London he released popular songs such as ‘Odo Pa’, ‘Aye Yi’, ‘Mada Meho So’, ‘Okwan Bi’, ‘Wobre’, ‘Okesi’, ‘Ama’ and ‘Kweku Anansi’.

One of the projects Frimpong embarked on when he returned to Ghana from London was to team up with colleagues Agyaaku and Eric Agyeman to record an album titled ‘The Giants’.