Jayachandran died from liver cancer in Thrissur, Kerala, on 9 January 2025, at the age of 80.[5][6][7][8] He was cremated with full state honours at his ancestral home in Chendamangalam, North Paravur, Kerala on 11 January 2025.[9]
Early life
Jayachandran was born in Paliyath palace at Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, on 3rd March 1944, and his family later moved to Ravipuram in Eranakulam District.[10] He is the third of five children of the late Ravivarma Kochaniyan Thampuran, a member of the Cochin royal family, who was himself a musician, though never a professional singer, and the late Paliyath Subhadrakkunjamma, and also the second of their three sons.[11] His siblings were late Sudhakaran (1940-1990), late Sarasija (1942-2018), Krishnakumar (born 1946) and Jayanthi (born 1948).
Jayachandran was a student of the National High School, Irinjalakuda, from where he received many prizes for playing the mridangam and light music in the State School Youth Festival.[12] He then studied at the Christ College, Irinjalakuda, completing his degree in Zoology.[13]
Jayachandran married Lalitha from Thrissur in May 1973. They have a daughter named Lakshmi and a son named Dinanath, who also sang for films.[14]
Career
Jayachandran met K. J. Yesudas in 1958 when he participated in the state youth festival. Yesudas won the Best Classical Singer award, and Jayachandran won the Best Mridangist award in the same year.
In 1967, he sang the evergreen song "Anuragaganam pole", composed by M.S. Baburaj, for the film Udhyogastha, directed by P. Venu. Later together, P. Venu and Jayachandran produced more hits like "Ninmaniarayile" C.I.D. Nazir 1971 and "Malayala Bashathan" Prethangalude Thazhvara 1973. Jayachandran received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer in 1972 for the song "Neelagiriyude ('Suprabhaatham')" for the film Panitheeratha Veedu. Its music was done by M. S. Viswanathan. The year 1978 brought him another Kerala State award, this time for the song "Ragam Sreeragam" from the film Bandhana, composed by M. B. Sreenivasan. In 1985 he received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Sivasankara Sarva Saranya Vibho" from the film Sree Narayana Guru, composed by G. Devarajan. The song "Prayam Nammil", from the film Niram, brought him a third Kerala state award in 1998. In 2015 he received the next state award for his songs in Jilebi and Ennu ninte Moideen46th Kerala State Film Awards. In 1975, he sang for the Malayalam moviePenpada (with music by R. K. Shekhar) a song called "Velli then Kinnam Pol", regarded as the first composition of the then 9-year-old Dileep Shekhar, now more widely known as A. R. Rahman.[15]
Jayachandran worked in close collaboration with the composer Ilayaraja, producing numerous popular hits in the Tamil language, including "Raasaathi Unna", "Kaathirundhu Kaathirundhu" (both from the 1984 release Vaidhegi kaathirundhaal), "Mayanginen Solla Thayanginen" (from the 1985 release Naaney raaja naaney mandhiri), "Vaalkaiye Vesham" (from the 1979 release Aarilirundhu Arubathu Varai), "Poova Eduthu Oru" (from the 1986 release Amman Kovil Kizhakaaley) and "Thaalaattudhey Vaanam" (from the 1981 release Kadal Meengal). In 1994, he received the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Singer for the song "Kathazham Kattuvazhi" for the film Kizhakku Cheemayile, composed by A. R. Rahman. As a recognition of his contribution to Tamil film music, he was honoured with the 1997 Kalaimamani award of the Tamil Nadu Government.
Jayachandran was honoured with the Swaralaya Kairali Yesudas award at the beginning of 2001, which he was the first person to receive. The motive behind this award is to choose the best from the singers and lyricists, within a span of 30 years. He has sung nearly 1000 songs for Malayalam movies over the years, according to the MSI information database.
1978– Best Male Play Back Singer for the song "Ragam Sreeragam" in the film Bandhanam
1999– Best Male Play Back Singer for the song "Prayam Nammil" in the film Niram
2004– Best Male Play Back Singer for the song "Neeyoru Puzhayaay" in the film Thilakkam
2015– Best Male Play Back Singer for the songs "Njaan Oru Malayali", "Malarvaka Kombathu", "Sharadambaram" in the films Jilebi, Ennum Eppozhum, Ennu Ninte Moideen
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