Nettey did not hide his immense talent – Ace Ankomah

God’s gift to late gospel musician Danny Nettey was “very obvious”, which the artiste did not conceal but made it manifest, keyboardist and lawyer Ace Anan Ankomah has said.

Nettey, 49, died at dawn Friday July 15 in Accra, and on Nyame Sompa on Accra100.5FM Sunday July 17, Mr Ankomah paid tribute to the contemporary gospel artiste.

Mr Ankomah disclosed that they first met in the late ’80s as up-and-coming gospel artistes, during which time Mr Nettey ministered with his voice while he played the keyboard.

According to him, Mr Nettey was “a deep worshipper” with a “unique” voice, qualities the musician employed one day when the two of them had been invited to perform at a church at Legon. Mr Ankomah said he had been assigned to play the keyboard while Danny would sing. But according to Mr Ankomah, who is also a member of Joyful Way Incorporated, the keyboard was in such “terrible” shape he wondered how he was going to produce the right notes to accompany the performance.

“But once Danny got on stage and took the mic and began to sing, he sounded very great because his voice was great, so, although we had one of the worst keyboards anyone could use, Danny’s ministry and talent was enough to cover up the fact that the keyboard was very terrible,” he told Nana Apeanti, presenter of the show.

Mr Ankomah noted that lovers of gospel music had lost an “immense talent” but his works should provide some comfort and leave fans with some enduring memory of him.

“What we have lost is the person and the future we could have had with him. But because he did not hide the talent and worked with it, we have many things to remember him by – the songs he wrote, the songs he sang, the albums he composed, the CDs he churned out, programmes he performed, his videos... We will comfort ourselves with those, but every time we listen to and watch him, we will recollect the pain and what we have lost,” he added.