Indian singer Shamshad Begum dies

NEW DELHI -- Legendary Indian singer Shamshad Begum has died. She was 94.

The singer had been unwell for some time, her daughter Usha Ratra told the Press Trust of India news agency yesterday. She died late Tuesday in Mumbai. No independent confirmation was immediately possible.

Begum began her singing career on radio in 1947, and her clear and pure voice touched the hearts of many listeners. She became one of the Indian movie industry's first playback singers, with several well-known actresses of her time lip-synching to her songs. The industry's best-known music directors vied to get her to sing for them.

-- AP