Nigeria’s Oldest Performing Musician, Pa Fatai Rolling Dollar Is Dead

Pa Fatai Olayiwola Olagunju

Reports coming in indicate that Nigeria’s oldest performing musician, Pa Fatai Olayiwola Olagunju, popularly known as Fatai Rolling Dollar has passed on. He died this morning at Marritol Hospital, Surulere after a brief illness. He is believed to be 85 years old.

One of his wives, Funmilayo Olagunju, has reportedly confirmed his death. Some reports however indicate he was born on the 22nd of July, 1926 and that will put his age at 87, not the widely touted 85. The late Pa Rolling Dollar was a master of the guitar and he mesmerized his audience with both his skills as an artiste and his incredible bursts of energy, even at that old age. He reigned as one of Nigeria’s most prominent highlife singers in the late 1960s-early 70s until his career nosedived. But luckily for him, he was thrown into the limelight again when former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave him a new lease of life, and making him known once again.

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