On this day( February 14) in 2013, Nigeria lost one of its entertainment stars, Susan Oluwabimpe Filani, known to all as “Goldie Harvey”. She was a singer, performer and reality star who was at the peak of her stardom.
Her death on Valentine’s Day, after arriving from the 2013 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles caught fans by surprise: how can someone so full of life die so suddenly? But she was gone, pronounced dead only a few hours after she slumped in her Ikoyi home, the result of an onset of a pulmonary embolism.
She became famous not just for her music, but her eccentricity which earned her comparisons with Lady Gaga and in line with her name, her hair was a blaze of gold, one that ensured she was never anonymous at any gathering.
In 2012, she released her debut album, ‘’Gold’’, which earned her mainstream recognition with the success of the hit singles like, ‘Don’t Touch My Body’, ‘You Know It’ with eLDee and the Jaywon assisted monster record, ‘Jawo Jawo.’
The outcome and widespread acceptance of the album birthed the reloaded edition issued two years later, where she joined forces with some of the finest names in the industry including Banky W, eLDee, Jaywon and Kas.
Following the release of her debut album, Goldie won over 10 awards including ‘Best Female Video’ at the Soundcity Awards 2010, ‘Best Use of Costume’ and ‘Best Afropop’ at NMVA, with ‘Best Female Artist’ at the City People Awards.
Not to forget her appearance in the Big Brother Nigeria house (Star Game edition) in 2012, which created quite a polarizing reaction.
The day she died, just as news began to filter in through radio shows, there was genuine grief from those who knew her, eulogies were being delivered from her friends like Denrele and label owner, Kenny Ogungbe with memories of how she had personally impacted a lot of them shared.
It is now six years since she passed away. And there is no doubt that were she alive, she would still be a major character in the ever rising Nigerian entertainment industry. We will never forget her.
Thank you for the music, the colorful costumes, the memories. Thank you for living a truly incredible life, one defined strictly on your own terms, the legacy you left will forever be remembered.
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