• Balu is known to be quite jovial and more like a child in real life. His unfaltering smile off the profession itself is a great example for this!
• For one particular song in Kamal Hassan starrer Indrudu Chandrudu, Balu had to sing in a voice which resembles Mayor Character in the film. The song was “Nacchina Foddu”. When Kamal Hassan’s wife Sarika heard it after recording, she thought it was Kamal himself who sang for it! But when she realized that it was Balu, she was so happy and delighted that she congratulated Balu’s great work with a boquet the next day!
• Balu and Janaki share some wonderful songs together from many music directors such as K.V.Mahadevan, MSV, Ilaiyaraaja, Raj-Koti and so on. Many of the expressions or the add-ons which the final song has are not prepared beforehand. They do this right at the time of recording spontaneously and they complement each other wonderfully well!
• Balu’s singing tenure with Chitra began differently. Chitra, who hails from Kerala was not familiar with Telugu initially. It was Balu who used to help her out in pronunciation, diction, expressions and so on during the recordings. The rest is history. We all know how many wonderful duets came from Balu-Chitra combination!
• During the song recording for Geethanjali, Balu developed severe throat pain. He had to struggle a lot singing for each song then. After leaving to US for throat operation, Balu thought he may not sing again in his life. But just like a phoenix, Balu came back with flying colours and sang more and more amazing songs from then!
• Balu proved himself to be a producer with taste by making a first Science Fiction film in Telugu- Aditya 369.
• During Padutha Teeyaga first series finals, Balamurali Krishna was the judge. The great carnatic exponent said, “Balu can become a Balamurali Krishna anytime. But Balamurali Krishna can never become a Balu!”. This statement is enough to explain the incredible talent and respect Balu has in Music arena!
• Balu even hosts a popular singing show “Padutha Teeyaga” in ETV which began in 1996- in search for aspiring young singing talent. The show became highly popular and even brought many good young singers to Telugu Cinema such as Usha, Mallikarjun, Gopika Poornima, Nitya Santhoshini.
• A lover of Telugu language, Balu is very particular about diction. Even when any singer makes a mistake on stage or in his own show Padutha Teeyaga, he never hesitates to correct it.
• Balu earned amazing respect in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala as well with his brilliant diction in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam respectively. Every south Indian state treats Balu as their own – thanks to his incredible style of singing which suits the indigenous tastes!
• First composer ever to record a Telugu Film song abroad. The song was Pibare Ramarasam for Jandhyala’s Padamati Sandhya Ragam. Infact, it was Balu who suggested the title for the movie. He also advised Jandhyala to cast drummer Sivamani for a lead role in the film.
• Takes special care in singing songs with carnatic style. He learns the technicalities and the raga details to do better justice to the song. That is why songs in Shankarabharanam or Sri Tumbura Naarada(Bhairava Dweepam) became carnatic jewels in Balu’s career.
• A great orator and a wonderful host, every Telugu person- let it be a music lover or not, Love to hear Balu speak. He is quite friendly and relaxed on stage while singing, by constantly making jokes and thereby making singers ease up!
• Balu shares a special friendship with lyricist Athreya. The latter was so fond of Balu that, whenever they met he used to ask Balu to sing his most favourite song “Nenoka Prema Pipasini”. Incidentally, it was Balu who sang Athreya’s last penned song “Priyathama Naa Hrudayma” from Prema.
• Balu’s singing career began in Hindi as well with Ek Duuje Ke Liye, a remake of Balachander’s Maro Charitra. When Lakshmikanth-Pyarelal, the composers for the film objected that Balu’s diction may not suit for Hindi, Balachander intervened and said that as the lead character hails from the South, Balu is perfect for the song.
• Bollywood hero Salman Khan used to insist the composers that he would want Balu to sing for his films. That was when Balu sang many songs in Hindi for films like Maine Pyaar Kiya, Saajan , Hum Aapke Hain Koun and so on.
• Balu is very fond of the old melodies sung by P.Suseela. He was so fond of the song “Paala Kadali Pai” from Chenchu Lakshmi that he used to sing that song frequently in music competitions. The reason being: There is a line in the song which reads “Balu ni nanu daya palinchutakai” which Balu used to imagine as himself!
• SPB is a die-hard fan of legendary singer Mohammad Rafi.

Composing Style:
Balu as a composer makes sure that he gives the Telugu nativity for a film. He even ventured out into fusion genre with Pibare Ramarasam song which features Stevie Wonder’s “I just want to say I love you” piano version in the prelude which launches itself to the carnatic composition Pibare Ramarasam. His orchestration is rich, with various instruments yet used in permissible fashion.

Musical Influences:

• Mohammad Rafi in singing.
• S.D.Burman, Shankar Jaikishen, R.D.Burman are some of his favourite composers.