SPB's 40-Year record plays on

Bangalore, DHNS: Fans Came to the city in droves from all over Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Mumbai.

The Occasion: Playback Singer S.P.Balasubramanyam's completing his 40th year in the film industry and the launch of the SPB Fans Charitable Foundation, on Sunday.

And did the fans make a song & dance about the occasion! Some were heard crooning his numbers in his inimitable style, many contended themselves with mimicking his equally inimitable voice. Many others were discussing the
finer points of their favourite SPB song & improvising on the riffts. All this they did when they were not posing for the photographs with their idol.

Belting out a song from the film Roja in SPB style, Vikas Hublikar, mimicry artist fron hibli, gets a round of raucous applause from fellow fans. "Like SPB, I married a Telugu Girl and I plan to name my children Charan & Pallavi after the Legend's own children," he says.

Vikas, a graphic designer from Mumbai, Said "I came all the way just to meet him. I don't understand Tamil & Telugu but I listen to his songs all the time."

But the modest SPB said on the occasion that he had always discouraged fans clubs, but commended those behind setting up of the foundation "for their charitable motive".

Balasubramanyam pledged to donate Rs 10,000 a month to the trust to help it carry out its work for the needy.

(source: Deccan Herald, 29th Jan 2007, Bangalore)