Music Maestro Ustad Rashid Khan Dies at 55

Ustad Rashid Khan has died at the age of 55.

The renowned classical singer was reportedly undergoing treatment for prostate cancer at a hospital in Kolkata.

According to reports, Khan died on Tuesday (January 9) afternoon.

During his last moments, he was reportedly on a ventilator and receiving oxygen support.

“We tried our best but failed. He passed away at around 3:45 PM,” an official of the private hospital where Khan was admitted told Hindustan Times.

Many people have paid tribute to Khan after his death.

In a long tribute on X (formerly Twitter), Bengal’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, wrote, “Deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Ustad Rashid Khan, one of the greatest exponents of Indian classical music of our times.

She added: “A hugely respected vocalist with unparalleled genius in creating music, he made us proud by settling here and making Bengal his home. He and Soma, his wife, and son Armaan, and the whole family, were close to us and allowed us to be on their side in the maestro’s last journey in life.

“My profound condolences to Soma, Armaan Khan, and Ustad’s whole family as well as to the countless students and admirers that he leaves behind in the whole world. Ustad Rashid Khan was truly a world famous classical Indian vocal artist.”

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote, “Heartbreaking loss. Perhaps the greatest Hindustani classical vocalist of our generation is gone. Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan passes away at the age of 55.”

General secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee, added, “It is with profound grief that we mourn the loss of music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan. His immeasurable contributions to Indian classical music have left an indelible mark on our cultural heritage. My thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Khan hailed from the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and was the great-grandson of gharana founder Inayat Hussain Khan. He was awarded the Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards in 2006.

Recently, Khan was also awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2022 by the Indian Government in the field of Art.