S. P. Balasubrahmanyam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam |
| Also known as | Gaana Gandharva, Paadum Nila |
| Born | 4 June 1946 Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Died | 25 September 2020 (aged 74) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Genres | Playback |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1966–2020 |
| Honours |
|
Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (born June 4, 1946 – died September 25, 2020) was a famous Indian singer, actor, and music director. People often called him SPB, SP Balu, or Balu. He is known as one of India's greatest singers ever. He sang in many films, mostly in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. He sang in a total of 16 different languages!
SPB started his singing career on December 15, 1966. His first song was for the Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna. Over his five-decade career, he won many awards. These include six National Film Awards for singing in four languages. He also won 25 Nandi Awards from Andhra Pradesh for his work in Telugu cinema. He received many other state awards too.
Some sources say he holds a Guinness World Record. He recorded over 50,000 songs in 16 languages, which is an amazing number! On February 8, 1981, he set a record by recording 27 songs in Kannada in just one day. He also recorded 19 songs in Tamil and 16 songs in Hindi in a single day.
He received high honors from the Government of India. These include the Padma Shri (2001), Padma Bhushan (2011), and the Padma Vibhushan (2021), which he received after his death. SPB passed away on September 25, 2020, in Chennai. He had been in the hospital for over a month due to health problems.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Balasubrahmanyam was born in Nellore, a city in Andhra Pradesh, India. His family was Telugu Brahmin. His father, S. P. Sambamurthy, was a Harikatha artist, which means he told stories with music. His mother was Sakunthalamma. SPB had two brothers and five sisters, including the singer S. P. Sailaja. His son, S. P. Charan, is also a well-known singer, actor, and producer.
SPB loved music from a young age. He learned musical notes and studied music. He first planned to become an engineer and even enrolled in college for it. He often said his dream was to fulfill his father's wish for him to become an engineer and get a government job.
Even while studying engineering, Balasubrahmanyam kept up with his music. He won awards in singing competitions. He had to stop his engineering studies early because he got typhoid. Later, in 1964, he won first prize in a music competition for amateur singers. This competition was held in Madras (now Chennai).
He led a music group with friends like Ilaiyaraaja, who later became a famous music composer. SPB was chosen as the best singer in a competition judged by famous musicians S. P. Kodandapani and Ghantasala. He often visited music composers to find opportunities. His first audition song was "Nilave Ennidam Nerungadhe".
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out: 1960s–1970s
SPB's first song as a playback singer was "Emiyee Vinta Moham" for the Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna in 1966. Just eight days later, he recorded his first non-Telugu song in Kannada for the film Nakkare Ade Swarga. His first Tamil song was a duet with L. R. Eswari for a film that was never released. The song "Medante Meda Kaadu" from the film Sukha Dukhalu (1968) made him well-known in Telugu cinema.
He sang many duets with famous singers like P. Susheela and S. Janaki. He also entered the Malayalam film industry. SPB said that the song "Ye Divilo Virisina Parijathamo" from the 1973 Telugu film Kannevayasu was a big turning point in his singing career.
SPB holds a record for singing the most songs in a single day. On February 8, 1981, he recorded 21 songs in Kannada in just 12 hours! He also recorded 19 songs in Tamil and 16 songs in Hindi on other single days. He once said, "There were days when I used to record 15–20 songs." In the 1970s, he worked with composer M. S. Viswanathan in Tamil movies. SPB's friendship with Ilaiyaraaja started even before Ilaiyaraaja became famous. They used to perform together in concerts.
Rising to Fame: 1980s
Balasubrahmanyam became internationally famous with the 1980 film Sankarabharanam. This film is considered one of the best from the Telugu film industry. The music, composed by K. V. Mahadevan, brought Carnatic music into popular films. Even though SPB wasn't trained in classical music, he sang the songs beautifully. He won his first National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for this film.
His first work in Hindi films was in Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), which earned him another National Film Award. He then recorded many songs in Telugu and other South Indian languages, especially with Ilaiyaraaja and S. Janaki. This trio was very successful in the Tamil film industry. They worked on films like Saagara Sangamam (1983) and Rudraveena (1988), both of which won them National Awards. Actor Chiranjeevi has said that SPB's voice was a big reason for his own success.
In 1989, Balasubrahmanyam sang for actor Salman Khan in the hit film Maine Pyar Kiya. The film's songs were very popular, and SPB won a Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song Dil Deewana. For many years after that, SPB was known as the "romantic singing voice" for Salman Khan's films. One of the most famous was Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, which became a huge hit. His duet with Lata Mangeshkar, "Didi Tera Devar Deewana", was extremely popular. This made SPB one of the biggest playback singers in India.
Continuing Success: 1990s
In the 1990s, SPB worked with many composers. His partnership with A. R. Rahman was a major success. He sang three songs for A. R. Rahman's first film, Roja. Their collaboration continued for many years. Other popular songs include "July Maadham" from Pudhiya Mugam and "Mannoothu Manthayilae" from Kizhakku Cheemayile. He sang almost all the songs in the musical love story Duet. His song "Thanga Thaamarai" from Minsara Kanavu earned him his sixth National Film Award.
SPB also worked a lot with composer Hamsalekha in Kannada films. He received his fourth National Film Award for the song "Umandu Ghumandu" from the Kannada film Ganayogi Panchakshari Gavayi (1995). This song was based on Hindustani classical music.
Later Years: 2000–2020
In 2013, Balasubrahmanyam recorded the title song for Chennai Express. He sang for the lead actor Shah Rukh Khan. This was his return to Hindi cinema music after 15 years.
SPB had a very long career, spanning 54 years. Even in his later days, he often recorded at least two songs per day. In May 2020, SPB sang a song called "Bharath Bhoomi". This song was a tribute to doctors, nurses, police, and other people working hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. The song was released on YouTube in both Tamil and Hindi.
Other Talents
Voice Acting
Balasubrahmanyam also became a voice actor by chance. He provided the voice for Kamal Haasan in the Telugu version of the film Manmadha Leelai (1976). He lent his voice to many other actors, including Rajinikanth, Salman Khan, and Anil Kapoor, in different languages. He was often the voice for Kamal Haasan in Telugu-dubbed Tamil films. For the Telugu version of Dasavathaaram, he voiced seven of the ten characters played by Kamal Haasan! He won awards for his voice acting. He even dubbed for Ben Kingsley in the Telugu version of the film Gandhi.
Television Shows
SPB hosted and judged the Telugu music reality TV show Padutha Theeyaga. This was his first time on television. The show started in 1996 and helped many new singers become famous. He also hosted and judged the Kannada music reality TV show Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu. SPB appeared in other shows too, like Paadalani Undi and Swarabhishekam.
Personal Life
Balasubrahmanyam married Savithri in 1969. They had two children: a daughter named Pallavi and a son named S. P. Charan. Charan is also a playback singer and film producer.
SPB always looked up to S. P. Kodandapani, who gave him his first singing opportunity. He considered Kodandapani his teacher and often honored him. He even named his recording theatre and his film production company after him.
Illness and Death
On August 5, 2020, Balasubrahmanyam tested positive for COVID-19. He was admitted to MGM Healthcare in Chennai. His health got worse, and he needed special medical support. His son, Charan, gave updates on his health. Many actors and fans prayed for him. On September 7, 2020, he tested negative for the virus and started showing signs of getting better. However, his condition became very critical on September 24.
Balasubrahmanyam passed away on September 25, 2020, at 1:04 pm IST. He was buried at his farm house in Thamaraipaakkam with state honors on September 26, 2020.
Awards and Recognitions
,_in_Panaji,_Goa.jpg)
Throughout his amazing career, Balasubrahmanyam won awards for many things. He received awards not just for singing, but also for directing music, acting, voice acting, and producing films.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Sripathi Panditharadhyula Balasubrahmanyam para niños
