Legend singer Mohammad Rafi's 31st death annivarsary was observed on Sunday in different parts of the world.

He was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. He won a National Award and 6 Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

Rafi had the credit of recording 28,000 songs in 11 Indian languages between 1944 and April 1980. According to the available figures, Rafi sang 4,516 Hindi film songs, 112 non-Hindi film songs, and 328 private (non-film) songs from 1945 to 1980.

His singing career spanned about 40 years, and his songs ranged from classical to patriotic songs, sad lamentations to highly romantic numbers, qawwalis to ghazals and bhajans, and from slow melancholic tunes to fast and melodious fun filled songs.

He had a strong command of Hindi and Urdu and a powerful range that could accommodate this variety.

Rafi, started singing by imitating chants of a fakir in his village. Rafi's father moved to Lahore in the Nineteen Twenties and owned a men's salon in Noor Mohalla in Bhatti Gate Lahore. In that same year, Rafi was invited by All India Radio Lahore station to sing for them.

He made his professional debut in the Shyam Sunder-directed 1941 film Gul Baloch and the Bombay film, Gaon Ki Gauri, the following year.

In 1944, Rafi moved to Bombay and took up a ten-by-ten-feet room in the crowded downtown Bhendi Bazar area.

As per Naushad, Rafi came to him with a letter of recommendation from Naushad's father. Before Rafi, Naushad's favorite singer was Talat Mahmood.

Once Naushad found Talat smoking during a recording. He got annoyed and hired Rafi to sing all songs of the movie Baiju Bawra in 1962-1963.

The popular female playback singer Lata Mangeshkar raised the issue of playback singers' share in the royalties. Recognizing Rafi's position as the leading male playback singer, she wanted him to back her in demanding a half-share from the 5 percent song royalty that the film's producer conceded to select composers.

The situation worsened when Lata Mangeshkar declared that she would no longer sing with Rafi. Rafi stated that he was only so keen to sing with Lata as she was with him.

Thee Guinness Book of Word Records gave Lata Mangeshkar's name for the "Most Recordings" but also stated: "Mohammad Rafi (Ed 1 Aug 1980) claimed to have recorded 28,000 songs in 11 Indian languages between 1944 and April 1980. The Guinness Book entries for both Rafi and Lata were later removed in 1991.

On Thursday, 31 July 1980, Rafi died at 10:50 p.m., following a heart attack. His last song was "Shaam phir kyun udaas hai dost" (Aas Paas), which he had recorded with Laxmikant-Pyarelal few hours before his death.  Rafi had one son from his earlier marriage and three sons and three daughters from his second marriage with Bilquis in Bombay. He was a a religious and humble person. He was a family man, following a recording-room to home to recording-room itenerary.

He used to perform his riyaz (musical practise) from 3 AM to 7 AM without fail. His only indulgences were playing carom and badminton and flying kites.