Shina Peters Reveals He Once Pretended to Be Mad to Win Back Public Sympathy — A Lesson on Showbiz Reinvention

Veteran Afro-Juju legend Sir Shina Peters has opened up about one of the most unusual publicity stunts in Nigerian entertainment history — faking madness to regain public love.

Speaking on The Honest Bunch Podcast, the “Ace” crooner recounted how his exit from Prince Adekunle’s band stirred public outrage, with fans labeling him a traitor who abandoned his mentor for fame and fortune.

“When I left Prince Adekunle’s band, people protested against me, saying I left my father because of money,” Shina Peters said.

To repair his public image, his record label boss, Tunde Savage, who was then the marketing director at Daily Times, teamed up with newspaper editors to create a sympathy-driven publicity stunt.

“He told me to plate my hair and not loosen it for three days. Then he asked me to tear my old clothes. On the third day, we went to Oyingbo Market to buy ewedu, and they were secretly taking photos. I didn’t know what they were planning,” Peters narrated.

The act didn’t stop there. They later took him to Badagry, where he was asked to behave like a mentally unstable person in public, all in an attempt to reshape his public image and evoke empathy.

“They told me to act like a madman and eat anyhow. All of that was to change how people saw me after leaving Prince Adekunle,” he added.

Opinion: The Genius and Madness of Reinvention in Showbiz

Shina Peters’ story may sound bizarre by today’s standards, but it highlights an undeniable truth — public perception can make or break an artist. In the cutthroat world of entertainment, image management is as important as talent.

His decision to embrace such an extreme method shows both desperation and brilliance. It was a time when there was no social media to tell your side of the story; reputation traveled through tabloids and gossip. So, what better way to flip the narrative than through spectacle?

In a way, Shina’s “madman” act was an early form of performance marketing — a dramatic display designed to grab public attention and reshape emotion. It worked, too. The same fans who criticized him began to sympathize, and his career rebounded, eventually making him one of Nigeria’s most celebrated musical icons.

Today, artists reinvent themselves with fashion, drama, or online controversies — but back then, Shina Peters proved that sometimes, you have to lose your “sanity” a little to gain the world’s attention.