Jagjit Singh Height, Age, Family, Wiki & More

Bio

NickName(s)

- Ghazal King

Profession(s)

- Composer, Ghazal Singer, Music Director

Real Name

Jagmohan Singh Dhiman

Physical Stats

Height (approx.)

in feet inches- 5 10

Weight (approx.)

in kilograms- 75 kg

Eye Colour

Dark Brown

Hair Colour

Salt Pepper

Career

Debut

Professional Singing:

- In 1961, when he took singing and composing assignments at All India Radio's (AIR) Jalandhar station

Playback Singing:

- Film- Arth (1982)

Awards/Honours

- Honoured with the "Lata Mangeshkar Samman" in 1998 by Madhya Pradesh government.

- Awarded with Sahitya Kala Academy Award by the Rajasthan Government in 1998.

- For popularising the work of Mirza Ghalib, Government of India awarded him with Sahitya Academy Award in 1998.

- In 2003, honoured with "Padma Bhushan" by the Government of India.

- In 2012, posthumously awarded with "Rajasthan Ratna" (Rajasthan's highest civilian award).

Personal Life

Date Of Birth

Saturday, 08 Feb 1941

Age:

Birthplace

Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner State, Rajputana Agency, India (Now Rajasthan, India)

Zodiac Sign

Aquarius

Nationality

Indian

Hometown

Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan

Schools

- Khalsa High School, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan

College(s)

- Government College, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan

- DAV College, Jalandhar

- Kurukshetra University, Haryana

Educational Qualification

- A Post Graduate Degree in History from Kurukshetra University (but never finished it, even after attending classes for almost two years)

Religion

Sikhism

Hobbies

Doing Yoga, Walking, Listening to Classical Music

Signature

Relationships

Marriage Date

Monday, 01 Dec 1969

Marital Status

Married

Family

Spouse(s)

- Chitra Singh

Children

Son

- - Vivek (died in 1990)

Daughter

- - Monica (step-daughter; committed suicide)

Family

Father

- - Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman (a surveyor with government's public works department)

Mother

- - Sardarni Bachchan Kaur (a housewife)

Brothers

- - 2

Sisters

- - 4

Favourites

Singer(s)

Lata Mangeshkar, Talat Mehmood, Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Amir Khan, Mohd. Rafi

Personal Details

Bio

NickName(s): Ghazal King
Profession(s): Composer, Ghazal Singer, Music Director
Real Name: Jagmohan Singh Dhiman

Physical Stats

Height (approx.): in feet inches- 5 10
Weight (approx.): in kilograms- 75 kg
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Hair Colour: Salt Pepper

Career

Debut: In 1961, when he took singing and composing assignments at All India Radio's (AIR) Jalandhar station, Film- Arth (1982)
Awards/Honours: Honoured with the "Lata Mangeshkar Samman" in 1998 by Madhya Pradesh government., Awarded with Sahitya Kala Academy Award by the Rajasthan Government in 1998., For popularising the work of Mirza Ghalib, Government of India awarded him with Sahitya Academy Award in 1998., In 2003, honoured with "Padma Bhushan" by the Government of India., In 2012, posthumously awarded with "Rajasthan Ratna" (Rajasthan's highest civilian award).

Personal Life

Date Of Birth: 8 February 1941
Birthplace: Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner State, Rajputana Agency, India (Now Rajasthan, India)
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Nationality: Indian
Hometown: Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan
Schools: Khalsa High School, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan
College(s): Government College, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, DAV College, Jalandhar, Kurukshetra University, Haryana
Educational Qualification: A Post Graduate Degree in History from Kurukshetra University (but never finished it, even after attending classes for almost two years)
Religion: Sikhism
Hobbies: Doing Yoga, Walking, Listening to Classical Music
Signature
Lesser Known Facts: Did Jagjit Singh smoke:? Yes, Did Jagjit Singh drink alcohol:? Yes, He was born in a Punjabi Sikh family in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan., At his birth, he was named Jagmohan. However, his devoutSikh father gave him a new name, Jagjit, on the advice of his Guru., Jagjit Singhs early years were spent in Bikaner, as his father was posted there as a Public Works Department (PWD) employee., In 1948, he returned to his birthplace Sri Ganganagar and started his music training under a blind teacher, Pandit Chhaganlal Sharma. Later, he took training under Ustad Jamal Khan of the Senia Gharana (a school of traditional Hindustani music)., Initially, his father wanted Jagjit to pursue engineering and also wished Jagjit to appear for UPSC exams., In an interview, Jagjit Singh had revealed that he was not from a well-off family and as a child he used to study by the light of lanterns as there was no electricity in the house., Still, a child Jagjit started singing Shabads (devotional Sikh hymns)in Gurdwaras processions on birthdays of the Sikh Gurus., His 1st public performance came in when he was studying in 9th grade. In an interview, he shared the event: When I sang there was great excitement! Some gave me five rupees, some two, and called out their encouragement., At his college in Sri Ganganagar, one night he sangin front of 4,000 people and suddenly electricity went off. However, the sound system remainedalive as it was battery-operated. Jagjit said,I went on singing, nobody moved, nothing stirred such incidents and the response from audiences convinced me that I should concentrate on music., For the higher education, Jagjit Sing opted DAV College in Jalandhar as its Principal had waived hostel and tuition fees for talented musician students., While in Jalandhar, Jagjit Singh joined All India Radio (AIR). AIR had put him in the class of B grade artists andallowed him 6 live music segments a year for small payments., While in Jalandhar in 1962, he composed a welcome songfor the visiting president ofIndia, Rajendra Prasad., In the early 1960s, he went to Bombay (now Mumbai) for a career in film playback singing. There he met musician Jaikishan; he liked Jagjits voice but couldnt offer any big break. Soon, he ran out of money and had to return to Jalandhar. In an interview, he said,I traveled by train fromBombayto Jalandhar minus a ticket, hiding in the bathroom., In March 1965, he again tried his luck in celluloid playback singing in Bombay. After struggling for a few days, he managedto get 2 Ghazals recorded for an EP (Extended Play, a 1960s gramophone record format) with HMV. When it came to a picture for the cover of the record, he decided to relinquish his Sikh turban and cut his long hair. He gave the reasoning,It was a matter of identity whatever picture was taken, that was how I would have to remain for the rest of my career., Life was hard in Bombay, and for a living, Jagjit started doing small mehfils (musical gatherings) and house concerts. He also sang at several film parties in the hope that a musician might notice him and give him a chance. However, in the film industry,newcomers were rarely accepted., Increasingly, Jagjit veered toward the Ghazal. So,Bollywoods loss was the Ghazals gain., To earn an income, Jagjit started composing music for ad films, radio jingles, documentaries, etc., It was at one such jingle recording that he met his future wife, Chitra, who was at the fag end of a bad marriage., In December 1969, Chitra divorced her husband and married Jagjit Singh. Their marriage was a very simple ceremony that cost them just30 and lasted just 2 minutes., Between 1965 and 1973, Jagjit had 3 solo EPs, 2 duet EPs with Chitra, and 1SuperSeven (a 20-minute format that has disappeared)., In 1971, his son, Vivek (alias Baboo), was born. Jagjit fondly recalled those time:I felt as if I was the richest man in the world., In 1975, HMV asked Jagjit Singh to compose his 1st ever LP (Long-Play) album. The album, The Unforgettables featured Jagjit Singh and Chitra, itgrew into a hit beyond expectations., The album, Unforgettablesbrought Jagjit and Chitra Singh to national fore and helped purchase of their modest flat inBombay., In 1980, Jagjit agreed to lend his voice for Javed Akhtars poetry in a low-budget film- Saath Saath. A similar film venture Arth saw Jagjit and Chitra Singhs fame climb higher higher., In 1987, he crossed another milestone by recording Indias 1st purely digital CD Album- Beyond Time., In 1988, Jagjit Singhcomposed the music for Gulzars epic TV serial, Mirza Ghalib., In 1990, in a motor accident, Jagjit and Chitra Singh lost their 18-year-old only son. It was the biggest tragedy in their lives. Chitra lost her voice and never returned to singing. Jagjit groped in depression for a while. However, it was his dedication to music that he decided to return to music and make the incident his strength., After his sons demise, his 1st album was Man Jite Jagjit, containing Sikh devotional Gurbani., In 1991, the album Sajda with Lata Mangeshkar,smashed non-film album records of all time., In 2001, the very day his mother died, after her cremation in the morning, Jagjit went to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in the afternoon for a concert., Jagjit Singh was successful Ghazal singer because of his own style., It was Jagjit Singh who started the practice of paying lyricists a part of an albums earnings., It was Jagjit Singh who offered Kumar Sanu his first break., On 23 September 2011, Jagjit Singh suffered a Brain Haemorrhage. He was in a coma for over 2 weeks anddied on 10 October at Lilavati Hospital, in Mumbai., In 2013, Google made a Google Doodle of Jagjit Singh as a tribute., In 2014,the Government of India released a commemorative postal stamp in Jagjit Singhs honour., Heres a glimpse of Jagjit Singhs life:

Relationships

Marriage Date: December 1969
Marital Status: Married

Family

Spouse(s): Chitra Singh
Children: - Vivek (died in 1990), - Monica (step-daughter; committed suicide)
Family: - Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman (a surveyor with government's public works department), - Sardarni Bachchan Kaur (a housewife), - 2, - 4

Favourites

Singer(s): Lata Mangeshkar, Talat Mehmood, Abdul Karim Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Amir Khan, Mohd. Rafi

Updated: Wednesday,Sep 16, 2026 15:00 PM GMT+05:30

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