By Bimbo Esho Ajikeokin
Few years ago to be precise 30th July, 2017 when our company Evergreen Musical Company Ltd hosted Uncle Tony Benson to a night out of musical jamboree and award night it took me some great effort to bring him out of his comfort zone in Ikorodu .
Uncle Tony was not only a reserved personality but he was one who have had an overdose of the good, bad and the ugly side of life. When I finally succeeded in bringing him out from the comfort of his house in Ikorodu it was hallelujah for me.
The very first day I set my eyes on him Oh! you could feel a touch of class, he had suave, a complete gentleman, friendly and no doubt could be labeled as one who came from the aristocrat family. He sure would have been a toast and a darling of Lagos babes in his hey days just like his dad.
I spent some few hours interviewing Uncle Tony at Stadium hotel and he told me a lot about himself and the relationship he had with his father.
He described his father Bobby Benson as a disciplinarian to the core and as the first born he got the brunt of it all. According to him his first musical experience started at age 4 when he first climbed the stage at Ambassador Hotel in Yaba. His father bought him his first musical instrument the electronic organ and thought him how to play the Jazz drum.
Reminiscing about his fathers night club Caban Bamboo also known as Hotel Bobby he said at the age of 10 he always go to the market to buy stuffs for the kitchen and bar. Before graduating into playing with his father at the club. According to him they got patronage from all nationalities, embassies officials and professionals from different walks of life who had many taste for a wide varieties of music genres such as Highlife, Samba, Jazz, Blues, etc
The Bobby Benson and Cassandra( his mothers) show was one that those who patronized the club looked forward to as they always got entertained with what they called jitterbug, tap dance and magic etc
According to Uncle Tony his mother left his father and relocated abroad when he was barely 8 months old as she couldn’t stand the advances he got from different female folks that patronized the club. He said till he clocked 69 years he could barely count the number of times that he met his mother.
For a man like Uncle Tony whose father was controlling one of the biggest and popular night club in the 50’s/ 60’s he sure must have been the cynosure of all eyes. Many ladies would have swarmed around him for several reasons. His worst experience amongst his women was when his wife took away his son when the boy was barely 4 years old. In his search for the son and wife as he said he had a fatal accident and collision with a 911 Mercedes lorry which landed him in the hospital and left him between life and death. Many suicidal thoughts crossed his mind at different times of his existence but then he Overcame them.
May his Gentle Soul continue to Rest in peace