Veteran playback singer Manna Dey died early Thursday morning at a private hospital here.

Sources at Narayana Hrudalaya hospital, where Mr. Dey had been admitted, said his end came around 3.50 am. “He died due to multi organ failure,” sources added.

Dey(94) had been admitted to the hospital due to age related complications.

The singer’s body will be kept in state at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bangalore till noon on Thursday to facilitate his admirers, well wishers and fans to pay their last respects.

The cremation will take place Hebbal later in the day.

Mr. Dey had sung over 3,500 songs in as many as 16 different languages, including Kannada, in a career spanning 70 years.

He had sung Jayate Jayate Satyameva Jayate for film Margadarshi and Kuhu Kuhu for Kalavathi.

“He had sung for three Kannada films and would try to sing these songs in some of the functions he participated. He would associate himself with many social and cultural programmes in Bangalore,” said Lahari Velu, owner of Lahari Music Audio Company. “People of Karnataka feel, he is one of them,” he added.

Mr. Dey made Bangalore his home and stayed with his younger daughter in Kalyan Nagar, East of Bangalore.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee had recently visited Bangalore to present him the Vishesh Maha Sangeet Samman. He was recipient of prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award.

Though Mr. Dey had lived in Mumbai for more than 55 years, he has a special affection for Bangalore, as this is the place where he married his wife Sulochana.

On one of the occasion, he remembered the long walks he had with his wife in places such as Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. Despite his celebrity status, Mr. Dey’s simplicity and exceptional talent attracted him to many people in Bangalore.

“My association with Bangalore is 50 years old. My wife’s family lived here and I got married in Bangalore. Our marriage was solemnized at a ceremony held on Kenchappa Road, I used to love going to the Glass House at Lalbagh” Mr. Dey had recalled in a recent programme.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by Muralidhar Khajane & Tanu Kulkarni / Bangalore – October 24th, 2013