Sir Shina Peters Shares Painful Childhood Struggles

Sir Shina Peters opens up about leaving home at age 10 due to poverty, revealing his painful path to music stardom and early life struggles.

Sir Shina Peters has shared a deeply moving account of the difficult circumstances that forced him to leave home at just 10 years old, revealing how poverty and emotional turmoil led him on a path of self-discovery that would later shape his legendary music career.

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Speaking on The Honest Bunch podcast, the iconic Afro-Juju musician said his family’s financial difficulties and lack of privacy at home pushed him to seek independence as a child.

“What led me to leave my parents at 10 is because they didn’t have money to rent a room and parlour,” he said with emotion.
“They spread my mat on the floor, while they shared the bed, waiting for me to sleep before they could ‘perform husband and wife right’.”

The veteran performer, now revered as one of Nigeria’s most influential musicians, described the experience as painful, saying it was a pivotal moment that awakened a sense of purpose within him.

“I don’t discuss this. It’s painful. Seeing my father and mother dragging… I said to myself, ‘Shina, no. Go outside there and find life for yourself.’”

In a striking part of his recollection, Sir Shina Peters described how he walked out of his home in the dead of night, determined never to return in failure.

“I just woke them up—‘papa, mama, me I dey go’. They said, ‘Go where? Tomorrow you’re meant to go to school.’ I said, ‘Forget education for now. Let me find my level.’”

He recounted how the landlord of the house brought out schnapps to mark his exit — a symbolic gesture signalling the seriousness of the moment.

“I told them, I will not come back to this house if I fail — and I never did.”

Sir Shina Peters later rose to stardom through resilience, spiritual discipline, and sheer grit. He recalled fasting for up to 90 days as a boy and credited his eventual success to God’s grace and spiritual guidance.

Years later, the singer returned to his family’s Oshodi home — only to find much of it destroyed by flooding and urban decay.

“In 1972, I returned from London. I took industry people to my house. I left a compound with 10 rooms and met only two, because of that canal.”

Now a celebrated music icon, Peters reflected on his journey with humility and strength. He also voiced frustration with the modern music scene, urging today’s artists to recognise the depth and discipline required to become a true legend.

“Music is not sere-sere things. If you want to be a legend, you have to go extra miles.”

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He concluded by saying that although his relationship with God has been tested, his faith remains central to everything he has achieved.