Daily Times

The third death anniversary of music legend Ustad Fateh Ali Khan was observed on Saturday. Fateh Ali was born in the village Shamchaurasi, Hoshiarpur on January 4,1935. Along with his elder brother Amanat Ali, he was trained by their father, Akhtar Hussain Khan, a distinguished vocalist in the patronage of the princely state of Patiala.

Fateh Ali became celebrities while still in their teens in undivided British India, and achieved their highest official recognition, when the President of Pakistan conferred on them the Pride of Performance Medal in 1969. Fateh Ali was dealt a devastating blow with the demise of his brother Amanat Ali in 1974.

Fateh Ali suffered a deep depression for over a year and a half, following which he joined Radio Pakistan as a supervisor.

Fateh Ali suffered from deep depression for over a year and a half, following which he joined Radio Pakistan as a supervisor

Fateh Ali Khan eventually overcame this emotional block, and started singing as a duo with his younger brother Hamid Ali Khan, as well his nephews, Asad Amanat Ali Khan (1952 – 2007) or Amjad Amanat Ali Khan both sons of his late brother Amanat Ali Khan. The absence of Amanat Ali made Fateh Ali redevelop and re-align his singing style. He had to fill the void left by Amanat Ali in the middle of his career, which was not an easy thing to do. The void was only partly filled by Amjad Amanat Ali Khan and Asad Amanat Ali Khan, as these two have occupied a relatively junior role in comparison with the almost equal footing that Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali fulfilled as a duo.

Fateh Ali Khan suffered lung disease in the last week of December 2016. He was admitted to a hospital and died at the age of 82 on January 4, 2017.