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Amar Singh Chamkila Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Amar Singh Chamkila Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

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Quick Infoā†’

Death Cause: Murder (Shot Dead)

Death Date: 08/03/1988

Age: 27 Years

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Bio/Wiki
Birth Name Amarjot Singh
Real Name Dhani Ram
Other Names Amar Singh Chamkila, Amar Chamkila, Elvis of Punjab
Title Name Elvis of Punjab
Nickname Chamkila
Profession(s) Singer, Songwriter, Musician, Music Composer, Stage Performer
Famous For Singing the song 'Pehle Lalkare Naal'
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.) in centimeters**- 175 cm**
in meters**- 1.75 m**
in feet inches**- 5ā€™ 9ā€**
Weight (approx.) in kilograms**- 65 kg**
in pounds**- 143 lbs**
Eye Colour Black
Hair Colour Black
Career
Debut Singing: Takue Te Takua
Personal Life
Date of Birth 21 July 1960
Birthplace Village Dugri, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Date of Death 8 March 1988
Place of Death Village Mehsampur, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Age (at the time of death) 27 Years
Death Cause Murder (Shot Dead)
Zodiac sign/Sun sign Cancer
Nationality Indian
Hometown Village Dugri, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
School Gujar Khan Primary School, Dugri, Ludhiana, Punjab
Educational Qualification 8th Standard
Religion Not Known
Caste Scheduled Caste check sources
Chamkila.org
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Round Table India
Controversies During the 1980s, Chamkila had become a very popular singer. However, most of his songs are still considered controversial; because of their vulgar lyrics, which he used to sing along with his female co-singer Amarjot. He had even received various threat calls from militants who wanted him to stop singing; however, he did not stop singing even after these threats.
Relationships & More
Marital Status Married
Affairs/Girlfriends Amarjot (Singer, died along with Amar Singh Chamkila in 1988)
Marriage Date 23 May 1983 (with Amarjot)
Family
Wife/Spouse ā€¢ Gurmail Kaur (Ex-Wife)
ā€¢ Amarjot (Second Wife)
Children Sons- 2
ā€¢ Name Not Known (With Gurmail Kaur- Died)
ā€¢ Jaiman Chamkila (With Amarjot Kaur- Singer)

Daughters - 2 (Both with Gurmail Kaur)
ā€¢ Amandeep Kaur (Elder)
ā€¢ Kamandeep aka Kamal Chamkila (Younger- Singer)
Parents Father- Hari Ram Singh (Died)
Mother- Kartar Kaur (Died)
Siblings Brothers- 2 (Elder)
Sisters- 3 (Elder)
ā€¢ Swaran Kaur

ā€¢ Charandeep Kaur
ā€¢ Name Not Known (Died)

Some Lesser Known Facts AboutĀ Amar Singh Chamkila

  • Amar Singh Chamkila was a renowned Punjabi Singer who is considered one of the best Punjabi stage performers, and he still has a huge fan following in Punjab.

  • He was born and raised into a conservative joint family.

  • Chamkila was interested in singing and playing musical instruments like Dhol, Tumbi, etc., since his childhood.

  • He was brilliant in studies but left his schooling midway for earning money to look after his family.

  • After quitting his school studies, Chamkila started working at a cloth mill in Ludhiana.

  • Initially, he wanted to become an electrician but destiny took him into the Punjabi Music Industry.

  • He was first noticed by the renowned Punjabi singer Surinder Shinda in 1979, when Chamkila was ridingĀ on a bicycle with one of his friends Kuldeep Paras, thereafter, he started accompanying Shinda as a member of his troupe.

    Surinder Shinda introduced Amar Singh Chamkila in the Punjabi Music Industry

  • Chamkila had penned down many songs for the popular Punjabi singers like Surinder Shinda (Main Digie Tilak Ke), Jagmohan Kaur (Gabroo Nu Marda), KS Kooner (Deor Naal Nach Bhabiye), etc.

  • Reportedly, as a lyricist, heĀ was unable to fulfilĀ the needs of his family, so, he had decided to pursue his career as a solo singer so that he would earn sufficient money.

  • Chamkila had recorded many solo and duet songs, which became popular among the Punjabi Community worldwide.

  • Subsequently, he also used to share stages and perform live concerts along with some renowned Punjabi singers likeĀ K. Deep, Muhammad Sadiq, Surinder Shinda, etc.

  • Before starting his singing career with his co-partner-cum-wife Amarjot, Chamkila had also performed with the other female singers like Surinder Sonia, Usha Kiran, and others.

  • Chamkila and Amarjot were in demand notĀ only in Punjab but also at the international level such as Canada, US, Dubai, and Bahrain for their live performances and open-air concerts (Akhade).

  • The level of his popularity had reached up to such a level that at one point of time during his singing career, he had become even more popular than the Punjabi Folk legends such asĀ Kuldeep Manak, Gurdas Maan , and Surinder Shinda.

    Amar Singh Chamkilaā€™s competitors Surinder Shinda and Kuldip Manak

  • Chamkila was an iconic performer whose songs reflected Punjabā€™s village life and covered social issues like drug abuse, dowry, infidelity, sexual affairs, etc.

  • According to Gulzar Singh Shaunkiā€™s biography- ā€˜Awaz Mardi Nahinā€™; Gulzar found in his research that at the height of his popularity, Chamkila performed 366 shows in 365 days.

  • According to sources, he used to chargeĀ _ā‚¹_4000+ per performance at wedding parties and functions.

  • Chamkila is best remembered for his super hit track ā€˜Pehle Lalkare Naalā€™. After his death, the original song was also featured in the Punjabi film ā€˜Patolaā€™ (1988). The song is so popular that many of his reprised versions have been used in various other Punjabi films.

  • He also sang devotional songs like ā€˜Baba Tera Nankanaā€™, ā€˜Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di Haanā€™, and ā€˜Naam Jap Leā€™ along with Amarjot.

    Amar Singh Chamkila with Amarjot during the recording of a devotional song

  • During Chamkilaā€™s live concerts, he always used to sing with the help of Tumbi (a traditional musical instrument).

    Amar Singh Chamkila playing Tumbi during a live concert with Amarjot

  • He was married twice. His first marriage was arranged while his second marriage with Amarjot was a love marriage. He did his second marriage without giving divorce to his first wife Gurmail Kaur.

  • On 8 March 1988 at approximately 1:40 pm, Chamkila and hisĀ pregnant wife Amarjot both were allegedly shot by bikerā€™s gang with AK-47, along with four members of their band just before their performance at the village Mehsampur in Jalandhar.

    A man showing the place where Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjot were killed

  • At the time of his death, he reportedly had 200+ songs that had not been sung or recorded officially, of which, some were sung by him at stage shows including ā€˜Dhee Mar Jai Badkar Lokoā€™, ā€˜Jatt Di Dushmaniā€™, and ā€˜Akhiyan Di Maar Buriā€™.

  • His song ā€˜Yaad Aave War Warā€™ wasĀ released after his death in 1988.

  • Reportedly, Chamkila had _ā‚¹_65 lakh in his bank account at the time of his death.

Conspiracies Theories About Chamkilaā€™s Murder

1) Amarjotā€™s family could have been the reason behind the murder in an effort to preserve their family from slander; because Amarjotā€™s caste (Jatt) was considered higher than Chamkilaā€™s.

2) During the Khalistan Movement (1980), the militants found Chamkilaā€™s lyrics objectionable due to which they might have killed him.

3) Chamkila might have also been killed by his competitors who were jealous of his success.

4) According to another theory, he might have been killed by an individual; whom he had rejected to performĀ due to a scheduling conflict or otherwise.

5)Ā  It is also believed thatĀ the Punjab Police could have been the reason behind the murder; because they were displeased by Chamkilaā€™s vulgar songs.

References/Sources