Thrissur: Renowned playback singer P Jayachandran passed away at the age of 80 at Amala Hospital in Thrissur, where he had been undergoing treatment for cancer, sources close to him said.
Jayachandran, who was born on March 3, 1944, in Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, was a celebrated figure in the Indian music industry, particularly in Malayalam cinema. His musical journey spanned an impressive 59 years, and he was widely recognised for his melodious voice and versatile singing talent.
A recipient of both national and state awards for Best Singer, Jayachandran won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer four times. Additionally, he received the Best Singer Award from the Tamil Nadu Government also.
His contributions to Indian music were further acknowledged when he was honoured with the prestigious JC Daniel Award in 2001. Over the course of his career, he lent his voice to more than 15,000 songs across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi, collaborating with iconic composers like Devarajan, Dakshinamoorthy, Ilayaraja, MSV, and AR Rahman.
He began his musical career at a young age, influenced by his family's strong musical tradition. He was a pioneer in mridangam and light music during his school years. His first playback song, "Oru Mullappoo Malavyi," was featured in the 1965 Malayalam film Kunjali Marakkar.
However, the song that marked his public debut was "Manjalayil Mungithorthi, Dhanu Masa Chandrika Vannu" from Kalithozhan. Over the decades, he became a beloved voice in Malayalam cinema, with his unique style making him one of the most cherished playback singers in the industry.
