KJ Yesudas said he will cherish memories of SP Balasubrahmanyam. (Photo: Express Archive)

Legendary singer KJ Yesudas recently remembered his “brother” SP Balasubrahmanyam, who passed away on September 25 in Chennai following coronavirus complications.

In a statement, Yesudas, mourning the loss of the legendary vocalist, mentioned that he shared a brother-like relationship with SPB.

He said, “Among the friends who work with me, Balu was like my brother. I do not know how much Balu loved me, but he used to call me Anna. Even though we weren’t born to the same mother, he behaved with me like a brother. Perhaps we might have been brothers in a previous life.”

Yesudas went on to praise SP Balasubrahmanyam as an artiste. He stated that even though “Balu hadn’t learnt music, he possessed great musical knowledge. He would sing, and he would also compose music. He had sung like a trained classical singer in Sankarabharanam. Anyone who listens to those songs would never say that he was an untrained voice.”

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“He’d never hurt anyone. He would always treat those around him with love and affection,” Yesudas said in a statement.

Yesudas, whose last performance with SP Balasubrahmanyam was in a concert in Singapore, said he is “dejected” that he could not meet the singer one last time.

“The last time we sang together was in a concert in Singapore. I was waiting in the US hoping that Balu would recover. This COVID has caused us a great loss. I am not allowed to visit India right now due to the present circumstances. Even though I’m dejected that I wasn’t able to see him one last time, I’m taking comfort in the fact that I couldn’t have borne seeing Balu — who would always be smiling along with me on the stage — lying still. I’d cherish his memories,” concluded the singer.

SP Balasubrahmanyam was laid to rest at his farmhouse near Chennai with a 24-gun salute by Tamil Nadu police.

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