14 June,2012 06:34 AM IST | | Special Features
One of the most popular ghazal singers of all times, he passed away due to multiple organ failure in Karachi. CS gives you glimpses of his life:
>> Mehdi Hassan was born on 18 July, 1927 in a village called Luna in Rajasthan, into a family of traditional musicians.
>> His family wasn't well off and Mehdi started working in a bicycle shop. Later, he worked as a car and diesel tractor mechanic.
>> Radio officers, Z A Bukhari and Rafiq Anwar were often cited by Mehdi as additional influences in his progression as a ghazal singer.
>> He received the Saigal Award in India and the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu in Nepal. He received the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, Pride Of Perfromance and Hilal-i-Imtiaz in Pakistan.
>> In October 2010, Lata Mangeshkar and Hassan teamed up for Tera Milana in the album Sarhadein.
>> Hassan cut back on his performances in the late 1980s due to illness.u00a0