Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh dead

Noted ghazal singer Jagjit Singh passed away on Monday at the age of 70 in Mumbai, over a fortnight after he suffered brain haemorrhage.

A Padma Bhushan recipient, 70-year-old Singh was admitted to the hospital on September 23 and was in ICU since then. His condition had deteriorated in the last few days and he was on life support.  He had undergone twin surgeries earlier this month.
   
"Jagjit Singh passed away at 8.10 am after having a terrible haemorrhage," said Dr Sudhir Nandgaonkar, hospital spokesperson.
   
Singh is survived by wife Chitra Singh. And their only son, Vivek, had died in a road accident in the early 1990s, according to a report.

Often called the 'Ghazal King' by his fans and peers, Jagjit was born on February 8, 1941 in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, to Amar Singh Dhiman, a government employee, and Bachan Kaur.

Stirring millions of hearts with his soulful numbers 'Jhuki jhuki si nazar' and 'Kaagaz ki kashti', ghazal king Jagit Singh infused a new life in the dying genre of music in the seventies and carved a niche for himself in Bollywood.
   
The pain and melancholy in his voice gave vent to the feelings of many a lonely heart.
   
Conjuring up hits like 'yeh zindagi kisi aur ki, mere naam ka koi aur hai,' 'Patta-patta boota-boota haal hamaara jaane hai,' 'Hontho se chhoo lo tum, 'Tum ko dekha', 'Hazaarbaar ruke ham and hazaar baar chale', Singh made a mark during the '70s when the ghazal scene was dominated by well-established names like Noor Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Begum Akhtar, Talat Mahmood and Mehdi Hassan.
   
The voice behind the timeless ghazals was inspired by singers like K L Sehgal, Talat Mahmood, Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Amir Khan.
   
One of the most successful and loved artistes of his time, he has left behind a huge body of work in a career spanning five decades, including 80 albums.