De Coque was an apprentice of juju musicians Sunny Agaga and Jacob Oluwale and became locally well known by the time he was a teenager.
De Coque received international attention after performing in London in 1973,[3] and his guitar work was featured in Prince Nico Mbarga's 1977 album Sweet Mother.
In a landmark ceremony,the then Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi III, crowned him 'The King of Highlife' of Africa in 1994,for his consistency in his craft.
In addition to his solo work, De Coque frequently played with the Igede International Band, led by his brother Eugene.
[1] His son subsequently noted that De Coque had prioritised performing 2008 but had planned to seek medical advice the month after his death.