Mohammed Rafi has by far been the only playback singer whose voice remained steady throughout his career spanning five decades. Mastering the legendary range of his notes would make one a true flagbearer of his legacy, one whom we have not discovered yet since his death in 1980

The legendary, versatile singer from Khandwa of Madhya Pradesh, who was born this day in 1929, Kishore Kumar would, once in a while, refuse a song under the pretext that it was too difficult to render. When the composer would finally convince him that he was the most suited for the number, he would deliver a marvel. Or, he would refuse a song to give a budding artiste an opportunity to rise in career, and the new kid on the block would leave the audience floored.