PTI Iconic music composer and a close friend of SPB for over 50 years, Illaiyaraja mourned the singer's death in a moving video post. [60], In May 2020, SPB crooned a song on humanity titled "Bharath Bhoomi" which was composed by Ilaiyaraaja as a tribute to the people such as police, doctors, nurses and janitors who have been significantly working amid COVID-19 pandemic. [21], On 25 September 2020, Balasubrahmanyam died in Chennai after being hospitalized for over a month for complications due to COVID-19. In the early days, he used to sing in towns and villages all over south India and Ilaiyaraaja, then an unknown harmonium and guitar player accompanied him in his concerts. [41] His first song with S. Janaki was "Pournami Nilavil Pani Vizhum Iravil" in Kannippenn. [5][6], Balasubrahmanyam has won six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for his works in four different languages – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi; 25 Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards for his work in Telugu cinema; and numerous other state awards from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In his latest video, Charan announced that SPB is stable and improving. Starting from 1996, the show is credited for unearthing singing talents from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. He started showing signs of recovery, including light speech and physical activities. SP Balasubrahmanyam Legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, who was admitted in August after testing positive for COVID-19, passed away on September 25 at 1.04 p.m. Singers like Usha, Kousalya, Gopika Poornima, Mallikarjun, Hemachandra, N. C. Karunya, Smita etc., have debuted in the show. He later collaborated often with the composer A.R. [65] He was awarded the Nandi Award for Best Male Dubbing Artist for the films Annamayya and Sri Sai Mahima. Mahadevan, and led to an increase in the usage of Carnatic music in Telugu cinema. His first work in Hindi films was in the following year, in Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), for which he received another National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer. He enrolled at the JNTU College of Engineering Anantapur with the intention of becoming an engineer. [77], Balasubrahmanyam died on 25 September 2020 at 1:04 pm (IST) of cardio-respiratory arrest after over a month-long hospitalisation. Singer-actor SP Balasubrahmanyam passed away on Friday following coronavirus complications. He discontinued his studies early due to typhoid and joined as an associate member the Institution of Engineers, Chennai. He was studying engineering in college when he won a singing competition, which opened doors for him in the Telugu-language film industry as a playback singer. This is my official YouTube Channel. Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam was born on June 4, 1946, in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, a state in southeastern India. [56], Balasubrahmanyam recorded three songs for A. R. Rahman in the latter's debut film Roja. He was 74. [62][63], Balasubrahmanyam accidentally became a dubbing artist with K. Balachander's film Manmadha Leela, the dubbed Telugu version of Manmadha Leelai, providing voice-over for Kamal Haasan. [67] He also dubbed for Ben Kingsley in the Telugu-dubbed version of Gandhi. One of India's most renowned film singers, SP Balasubrahmanyam, is on life support following hospitalization for Covid-19, the hospital treating him said in a bulletin Friday. [49], In 1989, Balasubrahmanyam was the playback singer for actor Salman Khan in the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya. [49], In 2013, Balasubrahmanyam recorded the title song for Chennai Express – "Chennai Express", singing for the lead actor Shahrukh Khan, under the music direction of Vishal-Shekhar, breaking his 15-year hiatus from Hindi cinema music. For more than four decades Mr. Balasubrahmanyam, better known as “S.P.B.” or “Balu” to his fans, was a major presence as a playback singer, who sings tunes that are later lip-synced by actors in India’s movie musicals. He received his fourth National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Umandu Ghumandu" from the Kannada film Ganayogi Panchakshari Gavayi (1995), which was a Hindustani classical music-based composition by Hamsalekha. Fans crowd outside SP Balasubrahmanyam… [17][18][19][20] He was a recipient of the Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2011) from the Government of India. The cause was complications of Covid-19, according to a statement from MGM Healthcare, where he had been hospitalized. [37][38] The first non-Telugu song that he recorded just eight days after his debut Telugu song was in Kannada in 1966 for the film Nakkare Ade Swarga, starring Kannada comedy stalwart T. R. Unfortunately, SP Balasubrahmanyam’s wife Savitri has also tested positive for COVID-19, and she is admitted to a hospital for further treatment, sources said. [25] His mother was Sakunthalamma, who died on 4 February 2019. SP Balasubrahmanyam No More… It is hard to imagine that the colossal figure in the Indian film industry has fell silent. #SPBalu Garu is stable and he is doing better than … [22], Balasubrahmanyam was born in Nellore, Madras Presidency (present-day Andhra Pradesh) into a Telugu Brahmin family. He had a long-time association with Rahman right from Roja. 161.6k Followers, 1 Following, 29 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from SP Balasubrahmanyam (@ispbofficial) And I would take the last flight back to Chennai. His first movie performance came in 1966. SP Balasubrahmanyam health update: Singer is 'extremely critical' in Chennai hospital; Political compulsions forced PM Modi to praise Tamil Nadu CM for Covid-19 efforts, Stalin says [76] However, the hospital released a statement on 24 September stating that he became "extremely critical" and was on "maximal life support". [27][28][29] His son S. P. Charan is also a popular South Indian singer, actor and producer. [61] The video song was officially unveiled by Ilaiyaraaja through his official YouTube account on 30 May 2020 in both Tamil and Hindi languages. SP Balasubrahmanyam (Twitter) Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam dies at 74 in Chennai 3 min read. National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer, National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer, Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer, List of awards and nominations received by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, "S.P. He broke into Bollywood in 1981. His voice was heard in more than 1,000 films, with his songs lip-synced by actors. Other early songs he sang were duets with P. Susheela, "Iyarkai Ennum Ilaya Kanni" in the 1969 film Shanti Nilayam, starring Gemini Ganesh, and "Aayiram Nilavae Vaa" for M. G. Ramachandran in Adimaippenn. SP Balasubrahmanyam’s son S P Charan on Saturday evening said his father is stable and ‘his lungs are functioning better than yesterday.’ He added that it would be a slow path to recovery for the singer. [72] Subsequently, his health deteriorated and he was shifted to the intensive care unit in a critical state. He was then introduced to the Malayalam film industry by G. Devarajan in the film Kadalppalam. Since it was a mild case of Covid … [78] He was buried at his farm house in Tamaraipakam, Thiruvallur district with state honours on 26 September 2020.[79]. [73][74] His son Charan provided periodic updates over social media, while members of the Tamil film industry engaged in a mass prayer via Zoom on 20 August and candlelight vigils were held by fans outside the hospital. Published Aug 24, 2020, 12:50 pm IST. [69][70] Balasubrahmanyam also appeared in other shows such as Paadalani Undi, Endaro Mahanubahvulu and Swarabhishekam.[71]. Encouraged by his initial success, he went on to perform in a band; one member, Ilayaraja, also became well-known. He died of complications of Covid-19. His death drew tributes from many prominent musicians, politicians and actors on social media. [42], Balasubrahmanyam had the distinction of rendering the most songs on a single day by any singer. The film is considered to be one of the best films ever to emerge from the Telugu film industry. [64] He has also provided voice-overs for various artists, including Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Vishnuvardhan, Salman Khan, K. Bhagyaraj, Mohan, Anil Kapoor, Girish Karnad, Gemini Ganesan, Arjun Sarja, Nagesh, Karthik, and Raghuvaran in various languages. Updated: 25 Sep 2020, 02:56 PM IST Meghna Sen. His father, S. P. Sambamurthy, was a singer and stage actor; his mother, Sakunthalamma, was a homemaker. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Indian Singer With Huge Repertory, Dies at 74. You can follow all my video updates here. Good news for SP Balasubrahmanyam fans, SPB tests COVID negative. Narasimharaju. For much of the next decade, Balasubrahmanyam continued as the "romantic singing voice" on the soundtracks of Khan's films. Mr. Balasubrahmanyam once said that he became a singer by accident. [23][24] His father, S. P. Sambamurthy, was a Harikatha artist who also acted in plays. As the legendary singer breaths his last today, September 25, we take a look at the SP Balasubrahmanyam-Salman Khan combo. S.P. Mr. Balasubrahmanyam often spoke of the inspiration he received from Mohammed Rafi, one of the most popular Indian singers in the 1950s and ’60s. PTI. In 1964, he won the first prize in a music competition for amateur singers organized by the Madras-based Telugu Cultural Organization. which became the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time. [26] He had two brothers and five sisters, including singer S. P. [53] SP Balasubrahmanyam became identified as Salman Khan's voice in the 90s just like Kishore Kumar became Rajesh Khanna’s voice through the 70s. For the Telugu version of Dasavathaaram, he gave voice to seven characters (including the female character) out of ten characters played by Kamal Haasan. Chennai: Singing legend S P Balasubrahmanyam is still on life support and an expert team is monitoring his parameters, says the Chennai hospital that is treating him for COVID-19. [31][32], Balasubrahmanyam continued to pursue music during his engineering studies and won awards at singing competitions. He is regarded as one of the all-time legends of Indian film music. Rahman, who won two Oscars for his work on the hit movie “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008). [51] Notable among these was Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! The hospital authorities have said that Balasubrahmanyam's condition is critical at the moment. “If I think I cannot pronounce something well, I opt out of the song.”. [11][12][13][14] He recorded 21 songs in Kannada for the composer Upendra Kumar in Bengaluru from 9 am to 9 pm on 8 February 1981. Up Next. “With the unfortunate demise of Shri S.P. Sailaja. Singer-actor SP Balasubrahmanyam, who was earlier this month admitted to MGM Healthcare in Chennai after testing positive for coronavirus, has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital.Hospital authorities said SPB is on life support and his condition remains critical. “I was so bewildered by the talent with which he was singing,” he said on his YouTube channel in 2019. Known as S.P.B., he sang in a number of languages and was known for his film work. [34][35] Often visiting music composers seeking opportunities, his first audition song was "Nilave Ennidam Nerungadhe". 1990s. Balasubrahmanyam was married to Savithri and has two children, a daughter Pallavi, and a son S. P. B. Charan, also a playback singer and film producer. [16] In 2016, he was honoured with the Silver Peacock Medal as Indian Film Personality of the Year. He required a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. [48] Balasubrahmanyam received his first National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his work. [39][40] He recorded his first Tamil song "Athaanodu Ippadi Irundhu Eththanai Naalaachu", a duet with L. R. Eswari under the musical direction of M. S. Viswanathan for the film Hotel Ramba, which was never released. [52] Balasubrahmanyam's duet with Lata Mangeshkar, "Didi Tera Devar Deewana", was very popular. Charan; and two grandchildren. Balasubrahmanyam was a musical star of Indian movies. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam has won 12 awards - Filmfare Award in 1990, Filmfare Award - Telugu in 2007, Filmfare Award - Tamil in 2008, Filmfare Award - Kannada in 2011, National Award in 1996, National Award in 1995, National Award in 1988, National Award in 1983, National Award in 1981, National Award in 1979, Filmfare Award South in 1987 and Filmfare Award South in 1984. Balasubrahmanyam: The end of an era", "SPB donates his ancestral home in Nellore to kanchi math", "SPB: The voice that captivated millions will never be stilled", "SPB was not just a singer, but a multifaceted personality", "Entertainment Hyderabad / Events : In honour of a legend", "Pehla Pehla Pyar by S.P. [68], Balasubrahmanyam hosted and judged Telugu musical reality TV show Padutha Theeyaga, which marked his television debut. He was assigned as the default dubbing artist for Kamal Haasan in Telugu-dubbed versions of Tamil films. "[44][45] In the 1970s, he also worked with M. S. Viswanathan in Tamil movies for actors such as M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan. He also received two of India’s top civilian honors: the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011. Not a classically trained singer, he used a "film music" aesthetic in recording the songs. [43] He had recorded 21 songs in Kannada for the composer Upendra Kumar in Bangalore from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on 8 February 1981 and 19 songs in Tamil, 16 songs in Hindi in a day. The songs were based on classical music, such as in Saagara Sangamam (1983) and Rudraveena (1988), for which both Ilaiyaraaja and Balasubrahmanyam won National Awards for Best Music Director and Best Male Playback Singer respectively. [75] On 7 September 2020, Balasubrahmanyam tested negative for the coronavirus, although he remained using a ventilator and ECMO. SP Balasubramaniam has the credit of singing about 40,000 film songs in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, and other languages. S P Balasubrahmanyam's Net Worth And Earnings In 2021 Find How Much Does S P Balasubrahmanyam earns year by year. [33] He was selected as the best singer in a singing competition which was judged by S. P. Kodandapani and Ghantasala. once said that he became a singer by accident. He was 74. Balasubrahmanyam, Hema Malini bag NTR awards", "Who will be the Indian Film Personality of the Year at IFFI 2017? He was 74. This solidified Balasubrahmanyam as one of the biggest playback singers in India. The legendary singer, SP Balasubrahmanyam (SPB as he is known popularly) who was hospitalised in August after testing positive for Covid-19, died on Friday afternoon at a private hospital in Chennai. [8], Balasubrahmanyam began to record more songs in Telugu and other South Indian languages, especially for Ilaiyaraaja with S. Janaki, the trio considered to be highly successful in the Telugu film industry from the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020), also referred to as S. P. B. or Balu, was a veteran Indian musician, playback singer, television anchor, music director, actor, dubbing artist, and film producer who worked predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam films. This loss will create a big void for the Telugu race and there is no one even remotely close of even giving a thought of his replacement. He won the National Film Award, one of the country’s most prestigious entertainment prizes, six times. [54][55], In the 1990s, he worked with composers such as Vidyasagar, M. M. Keeravani, Hamsalekha, S. A. Rajkumar and Deva among others, but his association with A.R.Rahman turned out be a major success. ", "Waheeda receives Indian Film Personality of the Year award at IFFI", "SP Balasubrahmanyam honoured with centenary award", "SPB wins Padma Bhushan, no Bharat Ratna this year", "Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : S.P.Balasubramaniam shares memories with music buffs", "Tamil Cinema news – Tamil Movies – Cinema seithigal", "SP Charan on SPB's health: He's eager to leave the hospital as early as possible", "S. P. Balasubramanyam – Photos and All Basic Informations", "Andhra Pradesh / Ongole News : Telugu will thrive forever, says Balu", "Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Raja-Lakshmi award for S.P. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, an Indian singer who delivered songs for more than 1,000 movies in a smooth and vibrant voice and in a multitude of regional languages, died on Sept. 25 in Chennai, India. Updated Aug 24, 2020, 1:11 pm IST [7][8] In addition, he won the Filmfare Award, and six Filmfare Awards South. He recorded duets with P. Susheela, S. Janaki, Vani Jayaram and L. R. Eswari. SP Balasubrahmanyam became identified as Salman Khan's voice in the 90s just like Kishore Kumar became Rajesh Khanna’s voice through the 70s. Wife Savitri Balasubrahmanyam performs rituals as daughter Pallavi Balasubrahmanyam and son SP Charan mourn near the mortal remains of legendary playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam. Read about others here. “I often sit with the lyricists and ask them what they meant to convey so that I get the emotional crux of the song,” he once said in a newspaper interview about having to be expressive in so many languages. [58][59], Balasubrahmanyam's association with Hamsalekha began after the latter's successful venture Premaloka in Kannada. It was rendered by veteran playback singer P. B. Srinivas, who used to write and give him multi-lingual verses in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Sanskrit, English and Urdu. SP Balasubrahmanyam sang more than 40,000 songs for films in 16 Indian languages. Dear Music Lovers, This is your's S.P.Balasubrahmanyam. Learn about the current net worth as well as S P Balasubrahmanyam ’s earnings, salary, finances, and income. His best-known songs were in the languages of Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter — both are playback singers. In the first week of August, SP Balasubrahmanyam, fondly called SPB, tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Veteran singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, who was admitted to a hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, has now been put on life support.On August 5, … [36], Balasubrahmanyam made his debut as a playback singer on 15 December 1966 with Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna, a Telugu film scored by his mentor, S. P. In addition, he recorded 19 songs in Tamil and 16 songs in Hindi in a day, which has also been called a record. [46], Balasubrahmanyam came to international prominence with the 1980 film Sankarabharanam. [5] In his words, "There were days when I used to record 15–20 songs, but only for Anand-Milind. Balasubrahmanyam", "Metro Plus Kochi / Columns : KADALPAALAM 1969", "SPB has recorded the maximum number of songs in a single day – The Times of India", "Salman's voice now belongs to Shah Rukh", "Life & Style / Metroplus : Swinging sixties", "The story of an enduring friendship for 5 decades – SPB and Ilayaraja", "Metro Plus Visakhapatnam / Music : Balu live and lively", "I knew Rahman as a toddler: SP Balasubrahmanyam", "The Biggest Blockbusters Ever in Hindi Cinema", "B'day Jukebox: SP Balasubrahmanyam Was Salman Khan's 90s Voice", "S P Balasubramanyam: The voice that made Salman Khan sing – Nishad N", "SPB Death News – SP Balu Life Journey – #RIP SP Balasubrahmanyam: The journey of a legend", "S P Balasubrahmanyam, Thank You for the Music", "40,000 songs in 16 languages: Here are some rare pictures of legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam", "Balasubramaniam returns with Chennai Express title track", "Ilaiyaraaja and SPB join hands for 'Bharath Bhoomi, "A song of tribute: Ilayaraja's salute to COVID-19 warriors", "Maestro Ilaiyaraaja pays tribute to COVID-19 warriors, releases song sung by SPB", "Chit chat with S. P. Balasubramaniam – Andhravilas.com -Telugu Cinema, Telugu Movies, India News & World News, Bollywood, Songs". Mr. Balasubrahmanyam was also a music producer and character actor. SPB’s son SP Charan told reporters at MGM Healthcare in Chennai, “SPB belongs to everyone. Balasubrahmanyam", "SP Balasubrahmanyam Dies at 74: 5 Facts About The Guinness Record Holder", "S.P. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, an Indian singer who delivered songs for more than 1,000 movies in a smooth and vibrant voice and in a multitude of regional languages, died on Sept. 25 in Chennai, India. He was the leader of a light music troupe composed of Anirutta (on the harmonium), Ilaiyaraaja (on guitar and later on harmonium), Baskar (on percussion) and Gangai Amaran (on guitar). SP Balasubrahmanyam‘s son SP Charan has shared the playback singer’s health update. Credit there to the Southern superstar singer SP Balasubrahmanyam. [47] Directed by K. Vishwanath, the film's soundtrack was composed by K.V. SP Balasubrahmanyam and Salman Khan was a combo as comforting as hot chocolate on … [15] In 2012, he received the state NTR National Award for his contributions to Indian cinema. He is survived by his wife, Savitri Balasubrahmanyam; his daughter, Pallavi Balasubrahmanyam; his son, S.P.B. [66] He dubbed for Nandamuri Balakrishna for the Tamil version of the movie Sri Rama Rajyam in 2012. Balasubrahmanyam, our cultural world is a lot poorer,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India wrote on Twitter. Other popular songs include "July Maadham" from Pudhiya Mugam, which also marked the debut of singer Anupama,[57] "Mannoothu Manthayilae" from Kizhakku Cheemayile which was a folk number and he almost sang all songs in the musical love story Duet and "Thanga Thaamarai" from Minsara Kanavu which fetched him, the sixth and latest of his National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer to date. 'S soundtrack was composed by K.V his initial success, he won the Filmfare Award, of. 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