Azam Khan’s 69th birthday today

Today is the 69th birthday of legendary rock singer Mahbubul Haque Khan who specially known as Azam Khan.

Marking the day, Azam Khan’s family will organise milad at residence of his daughter Ima Khan.

He was the lead singer of the rock band Uchcharan, founded in 1972. He is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Pop Guru", "Rock Guru", "Rock Shomrat" or simply "Guru".

Khan was a Freedom Fighter. He fought in Sector 2 under Brigadier Khaled Mosharraf in the Liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. After the war, he entered the music arena. He founded the band Uchcharan in 1972. His first concert was broadcast in 1972 on Bangladesh Television.

His pop band earned instant reputation and Azam came to be known as pop samrat. Some of his biggest hits are "Ore Saleka, Ore Maleka", "Jibone Kichhu Pabona Re", "Ami Jare Chaire", "Ashi Ashi Bole Tumi", "Obhimani", "Rail liner bostite", "Hei Allah Hei Allah Re", "Alal O Dulal".

Khan, together with pop music contemporaries Fakir Alamgir, Ferdous Wahid, Firoz Shai, Najma Zaman, and Pilu Momtaz is credited with pioneering and popularizing Bengali pop music.

Azam Khan was born at Azimpur on 28 February 1950. His father Aftabuddin Khan was a government official. His mother Jobeda Begum was a singer. He had great love for music since his childhood. Khan has two daughters, Ima Khan and Aroni Khan.

Khan died on 5 June 2011 at Dhaka Combined Military Hospital (CMH) at the age of 61. He was suffering from oral cancer which had spread to his lungs. In 2013 Khan`s family established Azam Khan Foundation aiming to help destitute artists.