Legendary singer S P Balasubrahmanyam succumbs to COVID-19, tributes pour in

Celebrated playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam passed away on Friday at a hospital in Chennai where he was treated for COVID-19 since last month, his family said.

The 74-year old veteran singer, popularly known as SPB, breathed his last at around 1.04 pm, his son and filmmakerS P Charan told reporters in Chennai.

SPB, who captivated millions of hearts by his supreme singing talent for over five decades, was admitted to the MGM Healthcare here on August 5 after testing positive for COVID- 19.

He was put on ventilator and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support after his condition deteriorated.

The passing away of the legendary singer has left his fans saddened. Several political leader, celebrities are paying their tribute to him on social media

Asha Bhosle expressed condolence on his death. She said, “This year has seen a lot of unfortunate events. And the news of SP Balasubramaniam's demise that I have heard just now makes me even sadder. He was an amazingly versatile artiste. His first songs after South, in Hindi with Lakshmikant Pyarelal were amazing. His duet with Lata didi was very memorable. Balu sang a lot of songs for RD Burman and was his friend. He had helped me a lot with my Tamil pronunciation in my song for Ilayaraja. The loss of such a great artiste has left a huge void in the music world. I wish his soul to rest in peace in this musical journey to be one with the almighty. RIP Balu.”