Veteran Nigerian entertainer, Charly Boy, has revealed how living with gay and transgender people influenced his personal style and artistic expression during his early years.

The singer made this known during his recent appearance on With Chude, a podcast hosted by Chude Jideonwo, where he reflected on his bold looks and the speculations they sparked.

In the interview, Jideonwo asked, “Why was your first look effeminate, for lack of a better word? What was behind that choice?” Charly Boy explained that his feminine appearance in the 80s and 90s attracted widespread attention, leading to rumors about his sexuality.

“I used to have a girly girl look back in the day, I used to wear a lot of rouge, makeup, lipstick and whatever, and that’s where the gay speculations started.”

“People thought that I was that-way inclined until my friend Tina looked at me and was like, ‘nah, you need something more macho, more masculine,'” he said.

Charly Boy shared that during his final years in America, many of his friends were transvestites, individuals who dressed in clothes associated with the opposite gender.

Despite not being one himself, he admired their fluidity and was inspired by them.

“I wasn’t one but I just loved them; I loved how they switched so I used to study them,” he clarified.

He went on to explain how this influence shaped his famous alter ego, Linda, a character he portrayed on The Charly Boy Show.

“If you remember that on the Charly Boy Show I had this character called Linda, my alter ego.”

“That was easy for me to do because I had been around bi, gay and transgender people, so I picked all the nuances from that,” he explained.

While acknowledging that his experiences with his diverse friends left a mark on him, Charly Boy maintained that he has always seen himself as a trendsetter.

“I love being myself, I love to stand out, I don’t want to follow trends; I prefer to start my own trends; and do my own thing.”

“That’s how I felt right from the day I was born, wanting to go through another way,” he concluded.