BANGALORE: Friends and fans of C Ashwath who were planning to celebrate his birthday by releasing a book about him on Tuesday, were greeted with the shocking news that in a cruel twist of fate, the music composer passed away on the morning of his 70th birthday.
Ashwath, who was born on December 29, 1939, at Channarayapatna in Hassan district, breathed his last at the Columbia Asia Hospital at Yeshwanthpur, in Bangalore.
The singer and composer who was admitted with liver and renal problems on December 17, is survived by his wife, son and daughter.
Ashwath became a household name in Karnataka with his singing skills. He was perhaps the only music director in Karnataka to have made a mark in all the three fields that require music as a component — theatre, ‘Sugam Sangeetha’ and films.
He graduated in science from Bangalore University and later worked at the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI). Ashwath started his musical career as a disciple of Devagiri Shankararao Joshi in Hindustani music.