Charly Boy is well known for his change of image which started with androgyny at the start of his music career. His preference for make-up, relaxed and braided hairstyles, and “women’s clothes” caused controversy among conservative Nigerians.
Towards the late eighties, Charly Boy, with the help of stylist and fellow singer/songwriter Tyna Onwudiwe who had featured on Nwata Miss, created a new persona for himself which consisted of attire from the punk era including leather jackets and boots, images of himself on power bikes, a mohawk which he would subsequently dye an array of colors, and a new direction in music, combining African pop and Afrobeat.
A pioneer in Nigeria’s short-lived punk movement, he soon earned the unofficial title His Royal Punkness, and renamed his Lagos residence The Punk Palace.
In the late nineties, Charly Boy began to wear his hair in dreadlocks and adopted a goth image, acquiring piercings and tattoos which were frowned on by society who viewed his modification as Satanic and occultist. In 2012, he introduced his fans to Linda, his female alter ego. Charly Boy continues to sport the goth look, and in 2014 he shaved off his dreadlocks due to a thinning hairline.
His evolution over decades of popularity, stunts and notoriety goes far beyond what any Hollywood writer can consider plausible.
Charly Boy is known for his constant re-invention of imagery, he became famous for his publicly defiant appearances a sort of anarchist often showing the middle finger to the political establishment. He amazed some …He wowed most…. putting himself on the line as the voice of the voiceless.