Grammy Winner Dies of Chronic Lung Disease: Zakir Hussain Was 73

Four-time Grammy Award-winning artist Zakir Hussain has died. The Indian classical music icon died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco on Sunday, Dec. 8, his family confirmed in a statement. He was 73.

“His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians,” the statement read, per the Associated Press. “He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time.”

Born in Mumbai in 1951 to legendary tabla artist Ustad Alla Rakha, Hussain learned how to play the instrument, a pair of hand drums that is the main percussion instrument in Indian classical music, as a child. He rose from a child prodigy to an internationally celebrated percussionist whose career spanned six decades, during which he collaborated with the likes of Indian classical icons like Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Shivkumar Sharma, as well as global musicians like singer-songwriter George Harrison, jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, drummer Mickey Hart.

After performing with some of India’s greatest musicians and touring globally by the age of 18, Hussain in 1973 formed the Indian jazz fusion band Shakti with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. Combining Indian music with elements of jazz, the group introduced a new sound to Western audiences. The band would go on to feature violinist L Shankar, percussionist Vikku Vinayakram, and mandolin maestro U Srinivas.

Throughout his career, Hussain received numerous accolades, including several Grammy Awards. He took home his first Grammy in 2009 for Best World Music Album with “Global Drum Project,” a collaboration with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead. In 2024, he became the first musician from India to win three Grammy awards in the same year when he took home wins for Best Global Music Performance for “Pashto,” Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for “As We Speak,” and Best Global Music Album for “This Moment.”

He also received India’s Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2002), and Padma Vibhushan (2023), and was recognized with a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999.

Paying tribute to the musician, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a “true genius who revolutionized the world of Indian classical music” and “an icon of cultural unity… His iconic performances and soulful compositions will contribute to inspire generations of musicians and music lovers alike.”

Hussain is survived by his wife, the Kathak dancer Antonia Minnecola, and their two daughters, Anisa and Isabella.