Legendary Gazal singer Mehdi Hassan died today at a private clinic in Karachi, Pakistan, TV reports confirmed.
The 85-year-old India-born Pakistani singer breathed his last today morning at the Karachi hospital where he had been hospitalized since Monday, for complications in multiple lung, chest and urinary tract disorder that he has been suffering from past many years.
Hassan was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Karachi hospital after his condition was reportedly critical.
"My father has been ill for the last 12 years but this year his condition has deteriorated significantly and in the last one month he was released from hospital for just one day before being admitted again," his son Arif told the reporters.
"He is admitted in the ICU of Aga Khan hospital for last one week but he is not on a ventilator," PTI quoted Arif as telling.
Hassan was born in Rajasthan into a family of traditional musicians and had migrated to Pakistan after the 1947 partition. He last performed in India in 2000 and had cut down on live performances post illness.
The "King of Gazal" has voiced over 20,000 songs in his lifetime and has earned immense recognition in the music fraternity all over the subcontinent.
Twitter world mourned the loss of the well-known singer.
"Very saddened to hear about my fav Gazal Singer Mehdi Hassan's demise. As a student had gate crashed into Pak Embassy to listen to him. RIP," Bollywood actor Anupam Kher tweeted.
"RIP #Mehdi Hassan saab, huge loss to the world of music...your Voice is immortal though," Shankar Madhevan wrote.
"Emperor of ghazals no more... R.I.P Mehdi Hassan... You will be missed sorely!" director Madhur Bhandarkar tweeted.
"Mehdi Hassan sa'ab is no more. The voice, who made mny music lovers n lovers to find an expression of their heart's stories, is gone. R.I.P. Saddened beyond comprehension. Jagjit ji, now Mehdi Sa'ab. The voices who kept the legacy of ghazals alive and how, are gone..This void can never be filled ever again," singer Shreya Ghoshan wrote
"RIP "@mudgalgagan Aa phir se mujhe chhod ke jaane ke liye aa.....#RIP #Mehdi Hassan," wrote a twitter user.
"Rest in Peace and Music #Mehdi Hassan: raaz ki baatein likhi/ aur khat khula rehne diya - my all time fav," tweeted another.
"Lata ji is believed to hv said a long while ago, that her mornings wdn't kick off till she heard #Mehdi Hassan's voice," wrote a user, Malvika.
"With #Mehdi #Hassan passing away,his pain will be no more,but his music will live on.Wish I had met him during one of my Pak trips :( RIP," wrote Smita Sharma.
