Mohammed Rafi was an Indian playback singer. He was born on 24th December 1924 and died on 31st July 1980. He is considered one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian Subcontinent.
Personal Information
| Name | Mohammed Rafi |
| Nickname | Pheeko |
| Profession | Playback Singer, Musician, Performer, Qawwali Singer |
| Total number of songs (approx.) | 7,500 |
Physical Statistics
| Height (approx.) | 5’7” (170 cm / 1.70 m) |
| Weight (approx.) | 85 kg / 187 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
Personal Life
| Date of Birth | 24 December 1924 |
| Age (at the time of death) | 55 Years |
| Birthplace | Kotla Sultan Singh, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, India) |
| Date of Death | 31 July 1980 |
| Place of Death | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Cause of death | Heart- Attack |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Islam |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
Family & Relationships
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife/ Spouse | Basheera Bibi (1st wife) Bilquis Ban (2nd wife) |
| Children | Son- 3 Saeed (from 1st wife) Khalid (from 2nd wife) Hamid (from 2nd wife) Sahid (from 2nd wife) Daughter- 3 Parveen (from 2nd wife) Yashmin (from 2nd wife) Nashreen (from 2nd wife) |
| Parents | Father- Hajji Ali Mohammed Mother- Allahrakhi Bai |
| Siblings | Brother- 5 Mohammed safi Mohammed Deen Mohammed Ismail Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Siddique Sister- 2 Chirag Babi Reshma Babi |
Career
| Debut | 1944 – Song (Kardar’s Pehle Aap) |
| Awards/Honors | 1967 – Padma Shri award • Six Filmfare Awards • One National Film Award 2001 – Best Singer of the Millennium title by Hero Honda and Stardust Magazine |
Personal Preferences
| Favourite Singer | K. L Saigal, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, and Manna Dey |
| Favourite Actor | Kishore Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Rishi Kapoo |
| Favourite Actress | Madhubala, Rekha, Sadhna and Nargis Dutt |
What You Never Knew About Mohammed Rafi
- Mohammed Rafi learned classical music from Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwan Lal Mattoo, and Firoze Nizami.
- His first public performance came at the age of 13 when he sang in Lahore featuring K. L. Saigal.
- Rafi’s first song with Naushad was “Hindustan Ke Hum Hain” with Shyam Kumar, Alauddin, and others. Kardar’s Pehle Aap (1944).
- In 2013, Rafi was voted for the Greatest Voice in Hindi Cinema in the CNN-IBN’s poll.
