Founder of New Jerusalem Chapel in Kumasi, Bishop J. Y. Adu, has publicly spoken about the challenges the late veteran gospel musician Yaw Sarpong faced in the months leading up to his death.
The Ghanaian music industry was plunged into mourning after Hello FM, a Kumasi-based radio station, confirmed Yaw Sarpong’s death on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
Reports indicate that the celebrated gospel singer died while on admission at Emena Hospital in the Ashanti Region after battling prolonged health complications.
Yaw Sarpong had been on a recovery journey following a stroke he suffered in early 2024, an illness that left him bedridden and unable to perform with his renowned Asomafo Band.
His condition prompted public appeals for financial support to help cater for mounting medical expenses.
The musician’s health struggles attracted national attention, including a visit from former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who, together with other leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), visited Sarpong at his residence in the Ashanti Region and offered financial assistance.
His death came barely a month after the passing of his longtime Asomafo bandmate and caregiver, Maame Tiwaa, who reportedly died from health-related issues on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
However, speaking in an interview with Smart Ghana TV on Monday, January 26, 2026, Bishop J.Y. Adu introduced a spiritual dimension to the late musician’s struggles. According to the preacher, Yaw Sarpong was once placed under a curse by a woman over an unpaid debt.
Bishop Adu claimed that the late gospel musician, accompanied by his elder siblings, later visited the woman to repay the debt and offer an apology, but she allegedly refused to accept it or reverse the curse.
He further alleged that a spiritualist eventually intervened to reverse the curse after the woman declined reconciliation.
In a striking claim, Bishop Adu stated that the woman allegedly passed away on the same day Yaw Sarpong regained the ability to walk, during his recovery from the stroke.
A TikTok video of Bishop J.Y. Adu recounting the alleged events has since surfaced online, sparking mixed reactions among social media users, with some expressing shock while others have urged caution in attributing spiritual causes to health-related deaths.
