8 Interesting Facts About The Legendary Dr. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam And 10 Of His Best Songs
Discover remarkable tales and timeless melodies from a music icon’s unforgettable journey.
Image: ShutterStock
India has produced some of the most talented musicians in the world. With artists like Pandit Ravi Shankar to Lata Mangeshkar and more originating from here, there’s no denying that India has strong roots tied to music. Dr. Sripathi Panditharadhyula Balasubrahmanyam or Dr. SPB, as he is fondly called by fans, was born in the district of current day Nellore in Andhra Pradesh (then called Madras Presidency). Born into an artistic family, he accomplished major feats and put India’s music scene on the map.
His incredible versatility and ability to don many hats simultaneously are what won him numerous fans throughout his career. Unfortunately, Dr. SPB took his last breath at the age of 74 on the 25th of September after suffering from COVID-19. Let’s take a look at his illustrious career as a musician and some of his most famous songs:
1. He Was Once Studying To Be An Engineer
Dr. S.P. Balasubrahmanyam did not start his life with the ambition to become a legendary singer. He had chosen to pursue the stream of engineering in Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur. Unfortunately, he was struck with dangerous typhoid fever and had to drop out of college. After he recovered, he joined the Associate Member of Institution of Engineers, Chennai.
2. His Mentor Was Kodandapani
Source: New Indian Express
Dr. SPB used to participate in a lot of music competitions and a variety of music shows during this time. S.P. Kodandapani and Ghantasala were judging one of the competitions he participated in and were impressed by his talent. After he won the competition, Kondandapani decided to take him on as a protege. Dr. SPB received his launch in December 1966 under his mentor Kondandapani.
3. He Won A Guinness World Record For Most Number of Songs Recorded In A Lifetime
Yes, as crazy as it sounds, Dr. SPB became the first person in recorded history to compose over 40,000 songs to date. He hit an average of singing around 930 songs in a year and up to nearly three songs a day. This remains to be one of the most unbeatable feats accomplished by any known singer in the world.
4. Six National Awards In Four Indian Languages
Dr. SPB is the only singer to have won six National Awards in four different Indian languages. He has won three awards in Telugu, one in Hindi, one in Kannada, and one in Tamil. For Telugu, he won awards for Rudraveena, Sagara Sangamam, and Shankarabharanam. For the languages of Hindi, Kannada, and Tamil, he won awards for Ek Duje Ke Liye, Sangeetha Sagar Panchakshari Gavai, and Minsara Kanavu, respectively.
5. He Has Also Been A Music Director For 46 Films
Besides collaborating with talented directors like AR Rahman, Dr. SPB also donned the hat of a music composer. Dr. SPB has worked as a music director for around 46 films across four different languages. His most notable work as a music director was for Telugu films, Thurpu Velle Railu and Padamati Sandhya Ragam.
6. He Has Acted In Films
Dr. SPB has acted in around 72 films in three different South Indian regional languages— Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil. Despite his mother tongue being Telugu, the talented musician was quite the linguist and could converse and sing in numerous languages. He is one of the only musicians to have a prolific musical career from various regional film industries and Bollywood.
7. He Dubbed For The Telugu Version Of The Oscar-Winning Film Gandhi
When the Oscar-winning film Gandhi was dubbed in the Telugu language, Dr. SPB dubbed for the lead role of Gandhi, which was originally played by British actor Ben Kingsley. The original film had received around eleven nominations at the prestigious 55th Academy Awards, and it won eight of those nominations, making it a big win for Indian history and culture.
8. He Is The Only Singer With The Most AR Rahman Collaborations
Under AR Rahman’s composition, Dr. SPB received his first National Award in the music category for Tamil language. Dr. SPB composed around three musical numbers for the film Roja, which ended up being AR Rahman’s breakthrough film. Their collaborations were well received by the industry, and they worked together on many projects after this.
Top 10 Of S. P. Balasubrahmanyam’s Best Music
Dr. SPB was well-known for his prolific music career. So let’s look at ten of his most popular songs across different languages.
1. Pehla Pehla Pyar Hai (Hindi)
2. E Preetige (Kannada)
3. Kuchiku Kuchiku (Kannada)
4. Na Cheli Rojave (Telugu)
5. Suvvi Suvvi (Telugu)
6. Ithu Oru Pon Malai (Tamil)
7. Dil Deewana (Hindi)
8. En Kanmani (Tamil)
9. Kannina Notagalu (Kannada)
10. Cheekati Velugulu (Telugu)
While the death of Dr. SPB is sad news and a deep loss for many in the industry, it is heartening to know that he lived his life to the fullest and left behind a legacy that will forever be remembered. He may no longer walk with us on this planet, but the numerous projects he worked on will inspire many other talented musicians for years to come. Which of Dr. SPB’s musical compositions was your favorite? Let us know all your thoughts in the comment section below.
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