Political leaders across the country — President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, DMK president M K Stalin, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, PMK founder S Ramadoss and chief ministers of several other states mourned famous playback singer and Padma awardee S P Balasubrahmanyam’s death in Chennai yesterday.
Balasubrahmanyam, popular as SPB or Balu in the movie world, died yesterday afternoon, his son S P Charan said. The singer had recorded over 40,000 songs in 16 languages over a period of five decades
Speaking briefly to the media outside the MGM Healthcare Hospital, Charan said his father died at 1.04pm. He thanked the hospital officials for their treatment and service.
The singer’s body was taken to his residence after embalming for public homage in the evening.
A large number of people gathered at his residence here to have a last glimpse of the singer and pay their respects.
The last rites will be held today at his farmhouse at Thamaraipakkam near here.
MGM Healthcare in a statement said: “In a further setback this morning, despite maximal life support measures and the best efforts of the clinical team, his condition deteriorated further and he suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest.”
The hospital said, Balasubrahmanyam was on life support measures since August 14 for severe Covid-19 pneumonia.
On August 5, in a Facebook post, the 74-year-old SPB said he was suffering from a very mild attack of coronavirus and had got himself hospitalised to take rest.
He had said that though the doctors had advised him to stay at home and take rest, he had decided to be in a hospital, as at home his family members would be concerned.
Balasubrahmanyam had hoped to get discharged from the hospital in two days. But it was not to be.
For a brief period, he showed some improvement in his health condition and had tested negative for coronavirus on September 4.
But on Thursday the hospital said his condition was extremely critical.
On Thursday MGM Healthcare said the singer remains on ECMO and other life support systems.
“His condition in the last 24 hours has deteriorated further warranting maximal life support and he is extremely critical. The team of experts at MGM Healthcare are closely monitoring his health condition,” the hospital had said.
Since yesterday morning a large number of police personnel were deployed outside the hospital.
S P Balasubrahmanyam: last rites to be held today
