By Ejike Anyaduba
The Wings, a four-member musical group that sprang up in Aba at the wake of the Nigeria-Biafra war, was phenomenal.
It was made up of the Azia-born Spud Nathan (Nathan Udensi), Ogidi-born Manford Best (Nnamdi Okaro), Agulu-born Arinze Okpala and Arochukwu-born Okey Uwakwe. Of the four, only Manford Best is still alive today.
Within the period the Wings reigned, there were other musical groups like Sweet Breeze, Apostles, Wrinkars, Black Children Sledge Funk, Semicolon, Blo etc. These bands were so good at what they did that their songs brought some soothing relief to the people, especially the Igbo who bore more of the brunt of the war.
The leadership of the Wings was not defined unlike the other groups. It devolved to members for an allotted period of time.
It can be safely speculated that the Band’s leadership style helped the group to achieve cohesion and fame quite early. Because in less than 3 years, the Wings had peaked with some of its soul-stirring tracks like “Catch that love,” “Believe me,” “Single boy,” Odenigbo etc becoming household songs. Coupled with that was the thrilling performance of its lead singer, Spud Nathan who held his audience captive.
Sadly, towards the end December 1974, Spud Nathan was involved in a ghastly motor accident that took his life. The car in which he traveled alongside Manford and Okey skidded off the Njaba bridge and tumbled. Spud Nathan died on the spot. Okey lost his spinal chord while Manford who was on the wheel, escaped unhurt.
Recall that another great musician, Jake Solo, formerly of the Funkees and Osibisa bands equally died ten years after on the same bridge and in a similar circumstance.
The death of Spud Nathan was to spark off a chain of reactions that sundered the group.
Arinze Okpala the only member of the band, not on the trip, was not impressed. Accusations were traded. Unable to manage the fallout, Arinze and Manford sought recourse to the courts. Manford was accused of carelessness and put on trial. Luckily for him, he escaped long jail, but not without pains.
Every effort to reunite the two did not yield the desired result as both men stood their positions.
Frank Owelle, the Ogbunike-born owner of Hotel Unicoco Aba, one of the patronisers of the many musical groups prominent in Enyimba City at the time offered some counsel as were others.
Okpala and Okaro could not be persuaded to a peaceful resolution as they went their separate ways. They formed separate bands with Okpala calling his own group Original Wings while Manford best named his, Super Wings.
Thus came an end to the once glorious and talented band. The wing of the Wings had been clipped by unbridled emotion, and carelessly tucked away in the dark coffin of unmanaged ego.
And in memoriam for Spud Nathan, Arinze Okpala and his Original Wings rendered the soul-stirring song – “Tribute to Spud Nathan.”
The Wings were gone.
Ejike Anyaduba wrote from Abatete, Anambra State.
(Culled from Abatete Digest)
