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KK never took up formal music training, but never shied away from singing in languages he was not much acquainted with, like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati.

His melodious voice and penchant for love songs touched a chord with people, making him the movie-makers’ top choice for films.

Though a Malayali by birth, he has a fan following across the nation.

KK made it a memorable time for the '90s kids with his melodious voice and soulful songs.

He majorly contributed to the '90s pop music, which was also a hit with the college-goers.

Some of his famous songs from that era were 'Pal' and 'Yaaron', among others. His music helped many youngsters get through several facets of life like heartbreaks and simple daily hustles.

KK got a chance to get a special feature in a song dedicated to Team India after it made it to the Super Six of the 1999 World Cup in England. He appeared in the 'Josh of India' song to support the Indian cricket team.

The song also featured other Team India members, including the then captain Mohammad Azharuddin and Robin Singh. The video also showed India’s historic 1983 World Cup win.

Right after his education in Delhi's Mount St Mary's School, the late singer took up the responsibilities of a marketing associate in the hotel industry. After the short stint, he decided to follow his passion for music.

After working on several jingles for the next few years, KK got a chance to sing AR Rahman's hit song 'Kalluri Saaley' and 'Hello Dr' from Kadir's 'Kadhal Desam' and then 'Strawberry Kannae' from the musical film 'Minsara Kanavu'.

In 1999, he made his Bollywood playback singing debut with 'Tadap Tadap' from 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'. However, he sang a small portion of the song 'Chhod Aaye Hum' from Gulzar's 'Maachis' before this big debut.

Some of his famous songs include 'Jab Bhi Koi Haseena' from 'Hera Pheri', 'Jhanak Jhanak Baaje' from 'Farz', 'Mil Jaye Khazana' for 'Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar', 'Aaja Gufaon Mein' for 'Aks', 'Dola Re Dola' and 'Maar Daala' for 'Devdas', 'Bardaasht' for Abbas Mastan's 'Humraaz', 'Zindagi Do Pal Ki' and 'Dil Kyun Yeh Mera' for 'Kites'.

For the longest time, KK was an admirer of singer Kishore Kumar and music director RD Burman. He also brought versatility to his voice, like his role models.

In 2008, KK released his second album 'Humsafar'. His song 'Raina Bhai Kaari' was a mix of Bengali Baul with rock, which had a tinge of SD Burman. KK had also sung an English Rock Ballad 'Cineraria'.

Some of his favourite international singers and bands were Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Bryan Adams and Led Zeppelin. In 2013, KK sang for an international album, 'Rise Up - Colors of Peace', which consisted of songs written by Turkish poet Fetullah Gulen and sung by artists from 12 countries. He recorded a song named 'Rose of My Heart' for the album.