Prestigious Titles

1999 Doctorate from Pottisreeramulu University (A.P). Presented by Governor Rangarajan.

2001 Padma Shri Award from the President of India K.R. Narayanan

2011 Padma bhushan from President of India Pratibha Patil

National Awards

1979   Sankarabharanam (Telugu) 

1981   Ek Duje Keliye (Hindi)

1983 Sagara Sangamam (Telugu)

1988 Rudra Veena (Telugu)

1995 Gaana Yogi Panchashari Gavai (Kannada)

1996 Minsara Kanavu (Tamil)

 State Awards

 1981 'Kalai Mamani' by Tamilnadu Government

 Andhra Pradesh Government Award - Received 10 times

 Tamil Nadu Government Award - Received 3 times

 Film Fans' Association (Madras) Award

 (oldest association in the country) - Received 20 times

 Other Awards

September 1, 2002 Life time Achievement Award "Play back King", conferred during TVS Victor Aalaapana Music Awards function for the years 2001 & 2002, at Hyderabad 

August 5, 2002 "Dr. Bezawada Gopala Reddy Award", given during a function in Nellore

April 7, 2002 Delhi Telugu Academy's 'Rashtriya Vikas Shiromani Award (Life time)' in 2002 on the occasion of 'Ugadi 2002', held in New Delhi

Year 2002 Swaralaya-Kairali-Yesudas' award in 2002

Year 2001 Sangeeta Ganga award in 2001

Year 1990  Film Fare Award for the film 'Maine Pyar Kiya' 

Mia Tansen Award Sur Singar Sanjad (Bombay) for best classical rendition of a song from 'Tere Payal Mere Geeth' composed by Naushad Sab 

Innumerable Awards from Magazines & Associations fostering films 

Achievements

 Has recorded over 36,000 songs in a span of 35 years, which include film songs and devotional numbers recorded by various recording companies of the country. It's a world record which will be soon entering into the Guinness Book of World Records.

Has recorded 17 songs in Kannada for the composer Upendra Kumar in Bangalore from 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. on February 8, 1981 which is a record. 

Has recorded 19 songs in Tamil in a day, and 16 songs in Hindi in a day, which is a notable achievement.

 Activities

Traveled abroad extensively and gave live music performances in countries like Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, U.A.E., U.K., Germany, Switzerland, France, Canada, U.S.A. and Norway.

Balu has used his voice not only for singing but also for dubbing for

various artists like Bhagyaraj, Mohan, Girish Karnad, Gemini Ganesh, Naresh, Karthik, Raghuvaran, Vinodkumar etcSripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubramaniam

Balu or SPB is a magical name that cast spell over the music lovers of various languages like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Tulu, Oriya, Assamese and Punjabi, for decades together. Moreover, he is conceivably the only singer, who has found a place in the Guinness Book of World records, for singing over a 35,000 numbers astoundingly in various languages. Balu is always the most preferred singer of South Indian Cinema. He fulfilled his lifetime yearning by erecting 'Kodandapani Audio Laboratories', a most contemporary recording theatre in his guru’s name at Chennai.

S.P. Bala Subrahmanyam who is warmly called as Balu was born on June 4, 1946, in an orthodox Saivite family in Konetammapeta (now in Tamil Nadu) as the second son among the five children of their parents. Balu’s father SP Sambamurthy was a well-known promoter of Harikatha. Singing used to be his first picking during his childhood. Since his father wanted to see his son as an engineer, Balu went to Madras and registered himself to study AMIE. Even as at college, Balu got hold of several credits in various singing competitions.

Here came a turning point in his life in 1964. A madras-based Telugu Cultural Organization organized a music competition for amateur singers, where our Balu won the first prize. S P Kodandapani, who was the Chief Guest of the function, sensed Balu’s piece of aptitude and afterward introduced him to the Cinema through the film Sri Maryada Ramanna in 1966. With the song getting due recognition, offers came pouring in from Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. His access to the Tamil Movies is by the song Aayiram Nilave Vaa in the MGR starred movie Adimai Penn under the music maestro K.V.Mahadeavan. After that he never looked back.

Balu's aptitude brought him a flood of records. There were days, as Balu accustomed to record 13 songs a date, which is an atypical accomplishment by any other singer in the total Indian film history. He never hesitates to experiment diverse techniques and in the course sang an out of breath song brilliantly in the film Tamil film ‘Keladi Kanmani’, and he is the first singer who made it.

The veteran director Dasari Narayana Rao provided Balu the way to grow to be a music director through his film Kanya Kumari, where after he scored music to many films e.g. Pellante Noorella Panta, Jaitra Yatra and so far, for about 50 films in Telugu and also composed the milieu for a Kannada film Sambandha, that had no songs.

Kamal Hassan the intellect of Indian Cinema encouraged the ‘play back’ singer to come before the lights. It again is a revelation that Balu proved himself as a very good performer. Guna, Talaivaasal, Keladi Kanmani, Sigaram, Kathalan and Rakshakanin Tamil, Pavithrabandham and Aro Pranam, Goppinti Alludu, Pelli Vaaramandi, Manasu Paddanu Kaani in Telugu, Muddina Mava in Kannada are a few of his unforgettable movies. He even got a special approval from the AP Government for his role in ‘Prema’. He also acted in K. Balachander's tele-serial, Jannal (a huge, hit in Tamil), with Lakshmi.

He conducted and anchored for a music related programme in ETV on every Sunday morning. The programme, ‘Padutha Teeyaga’ was an immense hit and stimulated the other channels to go with. He brought so many talented people into light through his programme. Currently he is conducting a programme in Maa TV ‘Paadalane Unnadi’ undoubtedly, it is also going to transform several others in an excellent way.

Name: Sripathi Panditharadhyula Bala Subrahmanyam

First movie done: Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramannna

DOB: June 4, 1946

POB: Konetammapeta (then in Andhra Pradesh and now in Tamil Nadu).

Father: S.P. Sambamurthy

Wife: Savithri

Chidren: Charan (a singer himself)

Pallavi (Sang a few songs under A.R.Rehman in a couple of films)

Sisters: Three sisters, one of them is Sailaja, a popular singer in cinema, and a popular anchor in television.

Brothers: One brother

Awards-

State Awards: 1981 Kalai Mamani by Tamilnadu Government

Andra Pradesh Government's Award - Received 10 times

Tamilnadu Government's Award - Received 3 times

Film Fans' Association (Madras) Award

(Oldest association in the country) - Received 20 times

National Awards: 1979 - Sankarabharanam, 1981 - Ek Duje Keliye, 1983 - Sagara Sangamam, 1988 - Rudra Veena, 1995 - Gaana Yogi Panchashari Gavai, 1996 - Minsara Kanavu.

National & Other Awards:

1) Film Fare Award for the film Maine Pyar Kiya in 1990

2) Mia Tansen Award, Sur Singar Sanjad (Bombay) for best classical rendition of a song from Tere Payal Mere Geeth composed by Naushad Sab

3) Innumerable Awards from Magazines & Associations fostering films.

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