Usha Uthup Biography

Usha Uthup, an iconic figure in the Indian music industry, has made a significant impact as a pop, jazz, and playback singer. Renowned for her contributions to Indian pop culture, she holds the distinction of being a pioneer in introducing and popularizing this genre in Indian music.

Usha Uthup Height, Weight, Age, Biography, Husband & More

Usha Uthup, born in Mumbai in 1947, hails from a musically inclined background. Her father, originally from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, brought the essence of music into her life from an early age. Growing up in a musical environment, Usha developed a deep love and appreciation for music.

Family

She is a member of a Tamil Brahmin family. Her father, Vaidyanath Someshwar Sami, served as a Deputy Commissioner of the Bombay Police. She has three sisters: Uma Pocha, who is a doctor; Maya Sami, a singer; and Indira Srinivasan, a travel industry executive. Additionally, she has a brother named Shyam Iyer.

Her first marriage was to Ramu Iyer. Unfortunately, after Ramu’s sudden passing, she remarried Jani Chacko Uthup, a businessman, for the second time. She has a daughter named Anjali Uthup, who works as a radio jockey, and a son named Sunny Uthup, who is an event manager.

Jani Chacko Uthup Usha Uthup Husband

Anjali Uthup Usha Uthup’s Daughter

Sunny Uthup Usha Uthup Son

Childhood

Usha was born into a Tamil Iyer family in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1947. Her father was Vaidyanath Someshwar Sami Iyer who hailed from Madras (now Chennai), in Tamil Nadu.

Education

During her schooling years, she attended St. Agnes High School, located on Clare Road in Byculla. However, she faced a setback in her music class as she was expelled due to not conforming to the expected vocal standards. Despite this, her music teacher acknowledged her inherent musicality and assigned her tasks such as playing clappers or triangles in the class.

Personal Life

Usha entered into a marriage with Jani Chacko Uthup, who hails from the ManarcadPainumkal family of Kottayam. Before her marriage with Jani, Usha was previously married to the late Ramu Iyer. Together, Usha and Jani have a daughter named Anjali and a son named Sunny, who was named after the popular song, “Sunny.”

Career

Usha’s first experience in public singing occurred when she was just 9 years old. Encouraged by her sisters who were already pursuing musical careers, Usha was taken to Ameen Sayani, a renowned radio announcer at that time. Sayani provided her with a chance to showcase her talent, and she seized the opportunity by singing a song.

Singing Career

Usha Uthup embarked on her music career in 1969 in Chennai. She started by singing at a small nightclub called Nine Gems, situated in the basement of the Safire Theatre complex on Mount Road. Remarkably, she performed wearing a saree and leg calipers, which didn’t deter her from delivering a captivating performance. Her talent and stage presence were so impressive that the nightclub owner extended her stay for an entire week.

Acting Career

In 2007, Usha appeared in the film “Bow Barracks Forever,” directed by Anjan Dutt, playing herself in the movie. Additionally, in the same year, she featured in a music video titled “Hattrick” as herself. Usha Uthup also made disguised appearances on the reality shows Indian Idol 1 and 2. She served as one of the co-judges for Idea Star Singer Season V in 2007 and 2008 and later appeared as a judge on the same show in 2010.

Check more details on Wikipedia

Discography

Filmography

Television

Awards and Nominations

Film Awards

Some Lesser Known Facts About Usha Uthup

• When Usha was in school, she was thrown out of the music class due to her voice.
• She was honoured with Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, in 2024.
• She started her singing career in 1969 at a Chennai nightclub called Nine Gems.
• She received the Padma Shri Award in 2011.
• She has sung in so many languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Bangla, Assamese, Oriya, Khasi, Gujurati, Marathi, Konkani, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu she also sings in French, German, Italian, Sinhalese, Swahili, Russian, Nepalese, Arabic, Creole, and of course, English.
• She became a popular voice with her song Shaan Se from the 1980s film Shaan.
• Does Usha Uthup smoke?: No
• Does Usha Uthup drink alcohol?: No

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