Remembering S. P. Balasubrahmanyam on his 77th birth anniversary: What ardent and new fans must know about India's most accomplished singer

Winner of six National Awards, seven Filmfare awards and 25 Nandi Awards, the name Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam, better known as S.P Balasubraymanyam isn't just the name of one of India's most accomplished singers, it's a legend that will be told across generations of listeners for years to come. Here's what fans must know about the most revered singer.

Born on June 4, 1946 in Konetammapet village of Madras Presidency, the singer was one among eight children

He wanted to become an engineer but a bout of typhoid dissuaded him from continuing his studies further

His association with long-time friend and composer Ilaiyaraaja began at a singing competition in 1964, where SPB was adjudged winner by Telugu music legend Ghantasala

He marked his debut as a playback singer with the Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna

He won his first National Award as a singer for the 1980 Telugu film Sankarabharanam

He idolised legendary singer Mohammad Rafi

Over five decades of his singing career, SPB has sung close to 40000 songs across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi

He dubbed for Sir Ben Kingsley in the Telugu version of 'Gandhi'

He will always be remembered as the voice behind all-time hits featuring Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Salman Khan