Reports reaching Joy Entertainment is that Highlife legend, Nana Kwame Ampadu has passed on.

The 76-year-old, according to sources, died at the Legon hospital after he fell sick overnight. He was rushed to the emergency ward on Tuesday morning and died shortly.

The composer, guitarist and singer who is a household name both in the country and abroad hails from Obo-Kwahu in the Eastern Region.

The inventive, clever, talented, imaginative, witty singer formed his African Brothers band in 1963. One of the founding members was Senior Eddie Donkor.

Nana Kwame Ampadu shot into prominence in 1967 with his 'Ebi te yie' (some are living well) track which many said was politically motivated.

The song that was seen as potentially critical of the then-governing National Liberation Council (NLC) disappeared from the airwaves, to return after the end of military rule.

In 1973 he won a nationwide competition to be crowned the 'Odwontofoohene', to wit (Singer-in-Chief).

Some of his popular tracks include Ebi Ti Yie, Aku Sika, Kofi Nkrabea, Obiaa Ba Nnye, Woyoo Woyoo, Mother, Mentumi Ngyae Wo, Agartha, Aye Se Ye Do Wo, Drivers, Anibere Nnye, Oman Bo Adwo, Kwaata and many others were popular at different times.

Nana Ampadu's Obra, was very popular as it was the theme song for one of the Akan Drama groups aired on national broadcaster, GTV on Sundays.

His musical career has also involved him in electoral politics, including composing a song for Jerry Rawlings's National Democratic Congress party to use in the 1992 election campaign.

He also released a song critical of an attempt to disqualify Rawlings from the 1992 election based on him being half-Scottish.

Obra hitmaker Nana Kwame Ampadu in 2008 at Abetifi on Easter Saturday unveiled ‘We Like Am So’, a song that demonstrated his sympathy for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Before Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng II, Omanhene of Kwahu Traditional Area, other Nananom, then-NPP presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, Ministers of State, NPP foot soldiers and others, a very lively Nana Ampadu sporting an NPP cap declared a message.

He said God had sent him with the good tidings that Nana Akufo-Addo has been already declared winner in the spiritual realm and that all are just waiting for December for that to manifest.

He urged all Kwahu citizens to support the winning side.

“Kwahu is my territory and the area harbours a lot of NPP stalwarts. They know I’m a prophet and they adore me. I know they will listen to me,” the 63-year-old Nana Ampadu told Showbiz.

The former General Secretary of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA)’s song and words at Abetifi caught some of his own folks by surprise.

He had been known as a National Democratic Congress (NDC) sympathiser who sang at party rallies, together with other artistes like the late Super O.D, Jewel Ackah and the late S.K. Oppong, urging people to vote for the NDC.

According To Nana Ampadu, he was led by the spirit to predict that Jerry Rawlings would win the presidential election in 1992 and 1996 and he was right.

“This new revelation came to me last January and I have said it elsewhere already that Nana Akufo-Addo has been ordained to rule this country after December,” he said then but the NPP candidate lost to Prof Atta Mills

Nana Ampadu said he would record his ‘We Like Am So’ song for the NPP campaign. Though he would not go into the field to directly campaign, he stated that he would go anywhere God sends him to deliver a message.

In 1998 he publicly declared his foray into evangelism and dedication of his life to the service of God. Aside from music, politics seems to kick up something in the man and God seems to have been speaking to him a lot about the subject per his prophecies.