Quoting his son, S P Charan, Indian media said the singer took his last breath at 1.04pm.

The singer tested positive for the novel coronavirus in early August and was subsequently hospitalised.

His condition had worsened and on Sept 23, he was deemed critical.

S P Bala, who mesmerised his fans with his rendition of songs from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam to Hindi has sung more than 40,000 songs.

Among his many notable hits include the award-winning track from Sankarabharanam (The Jewel of Shiva), a 1980 Indian Telugu-language musical drama film written and directed by K Viswanath.

The movie, for which S P Balasubrahmanyam was the playback singer for the lead actor who played the role of an aged carnatic singer, became a hit and ran for many days in Indian theatres.

The singer, who has also acted in several movies, will certainly be remembered for his wit, sense of humour and his unforgettable voice.