Published 15:50 IST, September 25th 2020
SP Balasubrahmanyam's death: Did you know SPB's dream was to own Mohd. Rafi's Fiat?
The late legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam had a wide collection of cars, but did you know his dream was to buy the Fiat used by late singer Mohammed Rafi?
On September 25, legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam passed away at the age of 74 in Chennai. Apart from his magical voice, the late singer was known for his wide car collection. Last year, the 74-year-old singer talked about his dream car in a brief interview with The Hindu. The late singer had revealed that though he owns a Mercedes-Benz S 400 and an E 200, it was his dream to buy the Fiat used by Mohammed Rafi.
SP Balasubrahmanyam's dream car
While elaborating further, SP Balasubrahmanyam said that he is the greatest fan of Rafi and a family friend. He further revealed that each time he visited Rafi's house, he kept asking his daughters for the car. In the same conversation, SP Balasubrahmanyam stated that after making a successful career in the music industry, the first car he bought in 1970 was a 1963 Fiat, priced at ₹10,300.
SP Balasubramanyam's trivia
Balasubrahmanyam, who has to his credit over 40,000 songs, has sung in languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. Apart from his career in music, he was also an actor. He earned praise for his effortless performances in films like Manathil Uruthi Vendum, Thiruda Thiruda, Kadhalan, Minsara Kanavu, and Moone Moonu Varthai, among many others.
SP Balasubramanyam's death
The veteran playback singer SP Balasubramaniam died on Friday. Sharing the news of his demise, his son, musician SP Charan said, “SPB belongs to everyone. He will live on in his songs. My dad passed away at 1.04 pm.”
Earlier in August, Balasubrahmanyam was hospitalised at MGM Healthcare after testing positive for COVID-19, and reportedly he did well initially. But later, his health took a turn for the worse as he was put on a ventilator and ECMO support.
On the other side, Chief Minister of Telangana, Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao, also expressed deep shock over the death of SP Balasubramanyam. The CM said Balu, as SPB is affectionately called by his fans, won fans all over the country with thousands of melodious songs. The CM said it was unfortunate that despite the best efforts put in by the doctors and other medical staff to protect Balu’s life, it did not work.
The CM said the void created by his death could never be filled. The CM also praised the contributions made by Balu as a playback singer, composer, actor in the world of cinema. The CM conveyed his condolences to members of the bereaved family.
Updated 15:50 IST, September 25th 2020