Famed playback singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, popular as SPB or Balu in the movie world, who recorded over 40,000 songs in 16 languages over a period of five decades, died on Friday afternoon, his son S.P.Charan said.

Speaking briefly to the media outside the MGM Healthcare Hospital, Charan said Balasubrahmanyam passed away at 1.04 p.m. and thanked the hospital officials for the treatment and service.

MGM HealthThe hospital said, Balasubrahmanyam was on life support measures since Aug 14 for severe Covid-19 pneumonia.

On August 5, in a Facebook post, the 74-year old SPB said that 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 decided to be in a hospital, as at home his family members would get concerned.

He 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 he had tested negative for coronavirus on September 4.

But on Thursday the hospital said his condition was extremely critical.

(IANS)