Legendary playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam — fondly known as ‘SPB’ or ‘Balu’ — whose evergreen voice reigned over the Tamil cinema for more than five decades, passed away here on Friday, having lost a battle to Covid.
He was 74 and is survived by his wife Savitri, daughter Pallavi and son SPB Charan, who is also a playback singer and producer.
Born on June 4, 1946 in Konetammapeta village at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam (SPB) was the second son in a family of three sons and five daughters. A gifted singer, SPB studied musical notations and learned to play the harmonium and the flute while listening to his father, SP Sambamurthy — an established Harikatha exponent. While his father wanted SPB to become an engineer, destiny had other plans.
Spotting his talent in a music competition organised by the Chennai-based Telugu Cultural organisation, Music director SP Kodandapani introduced him in Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna in 1966; it changed his fortune forever. In a mark of respect to his mentor, SPB would name his recording studio and his film company after Kodandapani in later years.
The big break
Even so, with just 3-4 songs in Telugu and Kannada to his credit, SPB could ordinarily not have aspired for greater glory. But a chance encounter with actor and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MG Ramachandran (MGR) led him on that path.
Impressed by SPB’s rendition of a song on the sets of AVM Studio, MGR wanted the young singer to sing for him. SPB’s ‘Aayiram Nilavae Vaa’ for MGR in Adimaippenn in 1969 marked the arrival of a youthful and energetic singer at a time when TM Soundararajan (TMS) ruled the roost. In the same year, he sang ‘Iyarkai Ennum Ilaya Kanni’ in Gemini Ganesan’s Shanti Nilayam.
While SPB worked with legendary music composers like MS Viswanathan (MSV) and KV Mahadevan, the entry of Ilaiyaraaja into Tamil cinema changed his fortune — and theirs too — forever. SPB and Ilaiyaraaja, along with S Janaki, emerged as a highly successful trio; they went on to rule the Tamil cinema from the late 1970s and throughout 1980s and even till the early 1990s.
S P Balasubrahmanyam
He was every actor’s voice
More than 1,000 credits including India’s highest civilian awards such as Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2011) are testimony to SPB’s illustrious musical career. SPB also holds the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most number of song recordings by any singer with over 40,000 songs in 16 languages.
From the melodious ‘Naanaga Naan Illai Thaye’ for Kamal Haasan to signature ‘Super Staru Yaarunu Ketta’ for Rajinikanth, there is not a single star worth his name in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and even Hindi industry for whom SPB has not lent his voice at least once.
A music composer himself, with more than 45 films to his credit, SPB also worked with young composers like Vidyasagar, SA Rajkumar, Deva and very recently with Anirudh Ravichander for Rajinikanth’s Petta and Darbar.
Many awards to his name
While the SPB-Ilaiyarajaa combo ruled the 1980s and early 1990s, the versatile singer paired up with young singers since then. He recorded three songs for AR Rahman in his debut film Roja, including the evergreen melody ‘Kaadhal Rojavae’. In fact, of the six National Awards for Male playback singer SPB bagged so far, the sixth and only one in Tamil is for ‘Thanga Thamarai Magalae’ in Minsara Kanavu composed by AR Rahman.
His other National Awards include three in Telugu, one in Kannada and one on his Hindi debut song ‘Tere Mere Beech Mein’ in Ek Duuje Ke Liye.
For millions of inconsolable music fans across the world, perhaps the only consolation lies in SPB’s own soulful song from Udaya Geetham where he sings ‘Enthan Moochum Intha Paatum Anaiyaa Vilakke..Kelaai Poo Manamae’ (My breath and this song are like a lamp that never turns off. Oh listen, gentle heart!).