End came on his 70th birthday

Ashwath had been admitted to the Columbia Asia Hospital a couple of weeks ago due to complications arising from liver cirrhosis. He is survived by his wife Chandra and two children, Sahana and Sandeep.

The last rites were performed on Tuesday evening in Banashankari crematorium in the City.

Earlier, thousands of his admirers and leading personalities paid their last respects to the departed singer at his house in N R Colony and also at Ravindra Kalakshetra, where his body was kept for people to pay homage.

Born on December 29, 1939 in Channarayapatna near Devanahalli in Bangalore Rural District in a family rich with traditional and cultural influences, Ashwath grew up in Chamarajpet in Bangalore.

He had his schooling in Acharya Patashala and graduated in science from National College, Basavanagudi. Later, he worked in the Indian Telephone Industries and retired in 1992 after serving for 27 years.
Ashwath, who learnt Hindustani music from Devagiri Shankararao Joshi, went on to become an exponent of Bhavageete and Janapada Geete. He has sung many of his own compositions and also composed music for 22 films, including award-winning  Kannada movies Mysooru Mallige, Santa Shishunala Sharifa and Nagamandala. He also composed music for movie Matadaana along with another popular music director V Manohar. His famous songs were Nee Hinga Noda Byada Nanna and Ello Hudukide Illada Devara.
This pioneer of Sugama Sangeetha has over 150 albums to his credit and trained a number of singers, including Manjula Gururaj, B R Chaya and Ratnamala Prakash. In the last three years, the singer was driven by a passion to sing vachanas and bringing them to mainstream music.
Legislature mourns
In the Legislative Council, Higher Education Minister Aravind Limbavali announced that efforts would be made to bring the music school which was run by doyen of light music C Ashwath under the ambit of newly established music university in Mysore.
He was responding to a suggestion by Congress leader V S Ugrappa.
Both the Houses of the State Legislature  paid rich tributes to Ashwath.
Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, in the Lower House, described Ashwath as a doyen of music who brought poetry of Kuvempu, Bendre and others to the reach of the laymen.