In an intimate conversation with Chude Jideonwo, gospel artist Victor Thompson opened up about his challenging past and the journey that led him to music.

As a child orphaned at 12, Thompson faced the harsh realities of life on the streets.

He candidly shared his experiences of selling weed and alcohol as means of survival.

The singer, known for his inspiring track 'This Year', recounted his days of hawking sachet water by day and navigating the night economy, often frequented by sex workers, to make ends meet.

Thompson also spoke of his versatility in taking up various jobs, from vulcanizing to shoemaking, to support himself.

A poignant part of his narrative involved being evicted from his father's home by his aunt, leaving him and his mother homeless.

They found refuge on a piece of land offered by a compassionate carpenter, but the conditions were far from ideal, leading to his mother's untimely death.

Reflecting on those turbulent times, Thompson said,

“At a time, I was selling alcohol, weed, cigarettes, and hawking pure water. In the Vict cigarettes. Most of my customers were the prostitutes,” he recalled.

“I lost my parents when I was between 12 and 14. My dad passed first, I think I was 10 or thereabout. When my dad died, my aunties threw us out of our dad’s house. We didn’t have a place to sleep. God so good, a carpenter was so kind and gave us an empty land to sleep. It’s a bush so at night, I would sneak my mum in, so that was how we lived for years. But she couldn’t cope then she passed.”

Thompson's story is a testament to his resilience and the transformative power of faith and music in his life.