Chendrimada Biddu Appaiah – Music composer, Producer and Music writer

Chendrimada Biddu Appaiah, popularly known as Biddu, is a renowned music composer, producer, and songwriter from Kodagu. Born in 1944 in Bangalore, he grew up during a time when Western music was sweeping across the world, and spent his teenage years tuning in to Radio Ceylon, where rock and pop of the 1960s shaped his musical imagination. Drawn by the energy and rhythm of these genres, he nurtured an early passion for creating his own sound. Biddu later emerged as one of the most successful Indian music producers on the international stage, pioneering a distinct fusion of Eastern and Western styles. His work not only opened doors for Indian musicians globally but also helped transform the soundscape of disco and pop in the 1970s and 1980s. With a career spanning continents, Biddu remains an iconic figure whose music continues to inspire new generations.

Family

Parents

• Father   Dr Appaiah
• Mother Cheppudira …

Wife

Sue

Children

• Zac-Son
• ZaZa-Daughter

Siblings

• Kutts Kuttappa
• Dechu Appaiah

Education

• Studied in Bishop Cotton Boy’s school,Bangalore

Books

• Curse of the Godman
• Made in India

Career

• He learnt to play the guitar and formed his own music group with a few friends. They sang popular numbers from the Beatles and Rolling Stones in many of Bangalore clubs. The group later disbanded, and Biddu continued on his journey for some time.
• In 1967, Biddu left for England and tried his luck as a singer, but things did not work out. He then decided to produce his own records. He started recording singles, but none of them ever received any mainstream success.
• His early recordings were just played in obscure clubs. His first breakthrough was with a Japanese Band called The Tigers. He recorded an English number called ‘Smile for Me’ written by the Bee Gees. The song became a huge hit in Japan.

Achievements

• Things started taking a turn for the better for Biddu in 1972 when he composed the music for a UK spy movie ‘The Embassy’. It was during this time that he started working with Carl Douglas, a Jamaican-born singer. Biddu recorded two singles by Carl Douglas, ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ and ‘I Want to Give You Everything’.
• Kung Fu Fighting was a huge international hit, and it sold eleven million copies and received Golden Certification status. It also won a Grammy for the Best Selling Singles.
• Biddu’s reputation started shooting up from then on and he went on to produce more huge hits, in 1976, he produced two albums: Rain Forest and Eastern Man. He won several awards for the album Rain Forest, and for the Song Writer of the Year. He began experimenting with electronic music and with Hi-NRG disco.
• In 1977 he brought out an LP titled ‘Life’, featuring Jamaican soul singer Jimmy James. The album included two smash hits ‘Disco Fever’ and ‘I’ll Go Where Your Music Takes Me’.
• In 1979, Biddu scored the music for a song in the Hindi movie, Qurbani. He composed the music for ‘App Jaise Koi’, sung by a 15 year old girl, Nazia Hassan.
• Biddu later signed up Nazia and her brother Zoheb and brought out the album ‘Disco Deewane’, which became a phenomenal hit across Asia and made Nazia Hassan a household name.

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