KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 ― Search engine Google is celebrating the birthday of the late artist Sudirman Arshad today with a special “Doodle” ― changes made to its logo on its homepage to celebrate holidays, anniversaries and the lives of famous people.
According to Google, the Doodle ― that can only be seen in Malaysia ― is in honour of the legendary singer and songwriter’s contribution to country's entertainment scene.
“Sudirman’s music has left an imprint in Malaysia even to this day as some of his more popular songs such as ‘Tanggal 31 Ogos’ and ‘Balik Kampung’ can still be heard during the festive occasions of Malaysia’s Independence Day and Aidilfitri, respectively,” it said in a statement.
Sudirman was born on this day in 1954 in Temerloh, the youngest of seven children in his family.
He died in February 1992, aged 37, due to pneumonia.
“His passion for singing and entertaining came to him at an early age, which was encouraged by his siblings and neighbours who were more than happy to let him entertain them,” said Google.
Sudirman broke out into the industry after winning the Bintang RTM singing competition in August 1976, has been known among other as the “Singing Lawyer”, having studied law at the University of Malaya where he successfully juggled classes and his love for singing.
Sudirman has also dabbled in acting, journalism, writing, business, and charity.
“Sudirman possessed a voice that is instantly recognizable when heard on local radio stations and TV. As a musician, he was loved and known for his versatility as he sang songs of various languages to extraordinary choreography,” said Google.
In his most legendary performance, Sudirman held an open-air concert on Chow Kit Road in April 1986, drawing a 100,000-strong crowd on a Monday night.
