Veteran gospel musician Daddy Owen claims deceased singer Papa Dennis started struggling after he left the Sadat Muhindi-owned label, ‘Maliza Umaskini’.
Having been in the industry for over 15 years, Daddy Owen reckons that the music industry fame can change an individual. He said Papa Dennis, who was once considered one of the wealthier musicians in the country while under Sadat Muhindi, fell into depression.
“This industry we are in can end up changing who you are because, at some point, it pushes you to be who you are not. You start doing things to satisfy your fans,” he said.
“Papa started struggling after that, which left him depressed,” Owen told Word Is.
“In most cases, we hear stories of people who were good before fame, but when they gained the stardom status, they became different people. What I know is that people are different. Some people cannot stand the pressure. Very few people can understand, handle and come out of the pressure strong,” he said.
At the same time, Papa Dennis’ supposed ex-girlfriend, actress Martha Wajero, said the singer appeared troubled and had kept calling her wanting to meet.
“We talk every day and I communicated with Papa even in that fateful night and I remember him telling me he was seeing things and people wanting to kill him. He kept on calling that day and wanted us to meet,” she said.
The former Machachari actress said she promised to meet him after she was back in Nairobi from Kisumu.
“At some point, we dated then on the way, we realised we could only become friends but he took me more seriously than just a friend because we worked together a lot,” she said.
Adding: “He always came through in so many ways and wanted me to be great. Papa was a nice person and it is still haunting me that I did not give him the chance to open up to me on what was troubling him. I never took him seriously when he said we needed to meet.”
“Maybe if I met him, I would have given him hope to be alive. That makes me feel sad because he always shared his problems with me,” she said.
In her tribute to Papa Dennis, Wajero said:
“I knew you for 5 years you have been a very loving caring and tender soul. You battled depression despite me being there. You have always been a shining star amongst many you had a bright future ahead of you because you were always hardworking and ambitious.
As you served God in your songs and touched many souls may God comfort your soul and may you rest in peace you have been a legend, a role model to many and a star. May you fly with angles I will always remember you and I will miss you.”
