Indian Ghazal King Jagjit Singh Passed Away at 70 in Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai

Tum itna jo muskura rahay ho ... kia gham hy jisko chupa rahay ho ....... R.I.P. Jagjit Singh.

Jagjit Singh Passed Away at 70 in Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai

Famous Indian singer Jagjit Singh has passed away today (Monday, Oct. 10) morning at Lilavati hospital in Mumbai at the age of 70. Popularly known as the "Ghazal King", Singh sang in a number of languages.

Jagjit Singh, who was famed for his semi-classical Ghazal songs, suffered from a stroke in September and had been in a coma in hospital ever since.

India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday expressed his condolence on the death of noted ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, saying he would be remembered for his "golden voice".

Noting that he is among Jagjit's admirers, the Prime Minister said he shared the sorrow of his fans

He is survived by his wife, Chitra Singh, who herself is also a leading ghazal singer. They had commercial success with songs recorded together in the 1970s and 1980s.

Singh's admirers say he revolutionised ghazal music and made it accessible to the wider public.

He also sang tracks for a number of popular movies, including Sarfarosh.

He was the first prominent ghazal singer from India in a genre dominated by Pakistani singers.

"He was the first real ghazal singer from India. Before him there were clones. The poetry in his music was beautiful," actor Anupam Kher said in a tribute.

"His music was gentle, soothing and went to your heart."

Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas said that Singh had made ghazal so accessible that his audiences "could sing along with him".

Jagjit Singh recorded more than 50 albums, many of them major commercial successes.