Two decades after the tragic death of Ghanaian music prodigy Terry Bonchaka, traditional music icon King Ayisoba has finally shared a firsthand account of the events leading up to the accident that claimed the young star’s life.
In an emotional interview with Kafui Dey, King Ayisoba revealed that he was with Terry Bonchaka on that fateful night, as both had been billed to perform at a Legon concert alongside other big names like VIP and Lord Kenya.
According to Ayisoba, Terry had recently purchased a convertible car that was still under repair at a fitting shop. Despite warnings from the mechanic not to drive it, Terry insisted on using the vehicle to attend the show due to the presence of A-list personalities.
King Ayisoba recounted that immediately after the performance, Terry left in his open-top convertible, driven by his personal driver, while Ayisoba followed in a separate car.
“When we finished the show, he got into his car, removed the top, and was standing in it. He picked up someone because the car could only carry him, so we were following behind. I saw that his car didn’t take the right route and shouted at our driver that something was wrong. Not long after, we saw that Terry’s car had crashed into a tree,” he said.
Ayisoba added that he was the first to rush to the scene and helped convey a critically injured Terry Bonchaka to the hospital. He admitted that he instinctively knew the young star would not survive.
“The moment we witnessed the crash, we stopped multiple cars for over five minutes before we got one to transport us to the hospital. I told our driver plainly that Terry Bonchaka was dead. I then went straight to Joy FM to inform presenters to break the news,” he recounted.
Describing the aftermath as one of the darkest moments in Ghanaian music history, Ayisoba said the nation lost one of its most promising performers that night.
“If Terry Bonchaka were alive today, he would have been one of Africa’s biggest stars. His style, his dancing, his dressing—everything about him was different. He was hotter than many of the people now winning Grammys,” Ayisoba reflected.
Terry Bonchaka, born Terry Bonchaka Adjetey, died on October 29, 2003, after his car somersaulted near the University of Ghana, Legon, shortly after performing at a campus concert. He was just 21 years old, leaving a meteoric career and a lasting legacy in Ghana’s music scene.