This singer was thrown out of her music class because of her voice.
When it comes to singing and acting, an artist has to refine their natural talent. But today we will talk about one singer who never underwent formal training in singing. Despite this, she has achieved worldwide fame and has a dedicated fan following.
Her fans love her voice, but there was a time when she was thrown out of her music class.
Let's take a look at her journey:
1. Sang at nightclub
)
Usha Uthup began her music career in Chennai in 1969 at a nightclub called Nine Gems, located in the basement of Safire Theatre on Mount Road. Despite wearing a saree and leg calipers, her performance was a hit, leading the nightclub owner to extend her stay.
She then moved to Kolkata where she sang at clubs like Trincas and met her future husband. Later, she performed at Talk of the Town (now Not Just Jazz by the Bay) in Mumbai. Her career took off when she caught the attention of a Navketan film crew in Delhi, leading to her debut in Bollywood with Ivory-Merchant's Bombay Talkies (1970).
2. When she was thrown out of music class
)
Usha Uthup was thrown out of music class in school because her voice didn't fit in. Despite this, her music teacher noticed her potential and gave her instruments like clappers and triangles to play.
She recalled the same incident in a recent Filmfare interview, in which she said, "I was once thrown out of class because my music teacher, Ms Davidson, believed my voice didn’t suit the choir. But realising I had musical talent, she gave me the triangle and clappers to play."
3. Had no formal training
)
You will be surprised to learn that Usha, who is such a versatile singer, never had formal training. In an interview with Hinduonnet, she shared that she was not trained in classical music. Her parents listened to Kishori Amonkar and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan on the radio, and she grew up joining them. Over time, music became her passion.
4. Bollywood not giving her enough opportunities
)
In her interview with Hinduonnet, Usha Uthup highlighted that her main income comes from concerts and live performances. She expressed frustration with the film industry's preference for sweet voices for heroines, mentioning actresses like Zeenat Aman, Tanuja, and Rani Mukherjee as potential fits for her husky voice.
Usha emphasised that one film song could fund numerous concerts, many of which are for charity.
5. Awards
)
Usha Uthup achieved a significant milestone in her career by winning her first Filmfare award after 42 years of her singing career. She shared the Best Playback (Female) category award with Rekha Bhardwaj for the song Darling from the movie 7 Khoon Maaf at the 57th Filmfare Awards.
Usha Uthup was honored with the Padma Shri in 2011, the fourth highest civilian award bestowed by the Government of India. More recently, in 2024, Usha Uthup received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award.
