Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on the fourth death anniversary of SP Balasubrahmanyam announced that the road where SPB's house is being named after the noted playback singer.
SP Balasubrahmanyam was a self-taught Indian playback singer, who ruled the industry for over 50 years, recording over 40,000 songs in 16 languages. Known for his iconic collaborations with Salman Khan and others, he earned numerous awards, including six National Film Awards and three Padma honours.
Stalin recalled how the actor sang tens of thousands of songs in various Indian languages and held the Tamil audience captive with his music. In a statement, he said the Padma awardee sang over 40,000 songs in several languages.
He conquered the hearts of Tamil people for more than half a century with his melodious voice, while composing music for many films and acting in some films. He was loved by former CM M Karunanidhi, Stalin said.
To honour him, the CM has announced that the Kamdar Nagar Main Road in Nungambakkam where the legendary singer once lived will be named 'S.P. Balasubrahmanyam Salai (Road)', he added.
Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam, affectionately known as SPB or Balu, stands as a towering figure in Indian playback singing. With a remarkable career that spanned over five decades, he is celebrated as one of the greatest singers in Indian history. SPB's versatility allowed him to dominate various regional film industries, primarily Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.
SPB's voice captivated tens and millions of fans as he created a unique space in the film music arena through his hits spread across 16 languages, most of them were in South Indian films -- Tamil and his mother tongue Telugu. The singer had worked with generations of music composers.
SPB left his indelible mark on thousands of evergreen songs, evoking various emotions, be it joy, romance or pathos and making it seem simple. When he sings, he would try and be the real voice of the actor to whom is singing the playback. The singing legend could whistle, mimic any sound or voice. His ability to seamlessly blend stammer, laughter, cough or give a voice form to any emotion in songs, is unmatched.
The evergreen song 'Ayiram Nilave Vaa' (come thousand moons) which he sang in the MGR starrer Tamil flick 'Adimaipen' shot him to fame in 1969 and he remained there all through his life.
The then cub-singer carved out his niche when veterans like T M Soundararajan (TMS) and P B Srinivas were ruling the roost. Lack of formal training in classical music could not hold SPB back and he continued to scale new heights every day, singing at least a song every day until the time he was hospitalised in 2020.
Renowned playback singer S Janaki spotted him when he sang in a music competition while pursuing engineering in Chennai. She knew that he would go on to become a legend in the world of cine music and she told him that. He began his singing career in Telugu and Kannada songs.
His Tamil debut song is "Athanodu Ippadi Irundhu", a duet song with L R Easwari in 'Hotel Rambha'. The movie was never released.
An unrelenting SPB continued to press for opportunities in Tamil cinema and his first hit came from 'Shanthi Nilayam' followed by 'Adimaipen' in 1969. The latter took him to greater heights. He was awarded the best playback singer by the Tamil Nadu government for songs in both films.
SPB worked with generations of music directors -- from SP Kodhandapani to M S Viswanathan to Ilayaraja to A R Rahman to Deva. He sang with P Suseela, S Janaki, Vaani Jayaram and Chitra, among others.
Read More
- SP Balasubrahmanyam 4th Death Anniversary: The Self-Taught Legend Who Ruled the World of Playback Singing for over 50 Years
- Remembering the melodic maestro: The enduring legacy of SP Balasubrahmanyam
- Ramoji Rao remembers SPB: 'A brother who embraced me with deep affection'
- SPB and K. J. Yesudas: Tale of two legends and their shared mutual admiration
