A voice the world has known for five decades and will continue to echo throughout time, legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam passed away on Friday at 1.04PM at the MGM Healthcare hospital in Chennai after being admitted for testing COVID-19 positive on August 5. The 74-year-old acclaimed singer-actor, lovingly called by fans as SPB, was laid to rest on Saturday with full state honors at his Thamaraipakkam farmhouse in the Tiruvallur district. An icon of Indian music, SPB has sung over 40,000 songs across 16 Indian languages during his lifetime, with fans, celebrities and reputed personalities from around the world continuing to share their condolences and paying their tributes, including his songs and interviews in the past.
Likewise, in an interview earlier this year during the nationwide lockdown period, we see SP Balasubrahmanyam and his son SPB Charan interacting with veteran composer Gangai Amaren and his sons Venkat Prabhu and Premgi Amaren. Fans have been revisiting past interviews of SPB since his demise and are seen sharing emotional reactions about how they miss the six-time National Award-winning singer already. The video is a fun-filled one and has SPB along with SPB Charan having fun recollecting memories with Gangai Amaren, who are then joined by Venkat Prabhu and Premgi. The interview, which is incidentally SP Balasubrahmanyam's last, has him telling Gangai Amaren and Venkat Prabhu to get Premgi Amaren married soon. He goes on to poke fun at Premgi, who is speechless for words, with all of them enjoying the moments.
Among the mind-boggling achievements by SP Balasubrahmanyam, the celebrated singer holds the Guinness World Record for recording the highest number of songs by a singer. His collaborations with MSV and 'Maestro' Ilaiyaraaja made him a legend, who partnered for all films under the composers throughout the 1980s. He subsequently went on to create an undisputed record in 1981 when he recorded 21 songs in a single day, which still continues to remain unbroken. Apart from singing, SP Balasubrahmanyam also carved a niche for himself as a talented actor having given notable performances in films such as Keladi Kanmani, Sigaram, Manathil Uruthi Vendum, Thiruda Thiruda, Kadhalan, Minsara Kanavu, Priyamaanavale, Moone Moonu Varthai to name a few.
SP Balasubrahmanyam was also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2011 and Padma Shri in 2001 from the Government of India. He is survived by his wife Savithri and two children - daughter Pallavi and son SPB Charan. Watch SPB's last interview below: