On Wednesday, which was the fourth death anniversary of singing legend SP Balasubrahmanyam, fondly known as SPB, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin’s government in an official release stated that Kamdar Nagar 1st Street in Nungambakkam, Chennai would be renamed as 'SP Balasubrahmanyam Salai' in honour of the former’s rich contribution to the world of Indian cinema. SPB’s house is located on Kamdar Nagar Street.
In the statement, Stalin recollected how the multi-hyphenate sang tens of thousands of songs in various Indian languages and held the Tamil audience captive with his music. He recalled that the Padma awardee crooned over 40,000 songs in various languages.
Universal hero Kamal Haasan, who shared a close bond with SPB, was thrilled with Stalin’s move. “Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Stalin announced that the street where SPB lived in Chennai will be named after the singer who is my elder brother and an incomparable musician. This is a tribute to a great artist who lives on in the hearts of millions of art lovers. As one of Balu Anna's fans, my appreciation and gratitude goes to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,” the actor wrote on X on Thursday.
In a career spanning more than 50 years, SPB received six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for his performances in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi, along with 25 Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards for his work in Telugu cinema. Additionally, he was honoured with various state awards from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments.
The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri in 2001, the Padma Bhushan in 2011, and the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2021. He passed away on 25 September 2020 in Chennai after complications from COVID-19.
