Editing Jagjit Singh (section)

==Early life and career==
[[File:Shahid Kabir with Jagjit Singh and his son, Sameer Kabeer.jpg|thumb|Jagjit Singh (middle) with poet [[Shahid Kabir]] and his son, Sameer Kabeer]]
Jagjit Singh Dhiman was born on 8 February 1941 in [[Sri Ganganagar]], [[Rajasthan]], India (then [[Bikaner State]]) into a [[Namdhari]] [[Sikh]] [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] family.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhardwaj |first=Deeksha |date=2018-10-10 |title=Seven years after his death, seven songs that keep Jagjit Singh alive for fans |url=https://theprint.in/feature/seven-years-after-his-death-seven-songs-that-keep-jagjit-singh-alive-for-fans/132111/ |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=TOI20021110/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-10 |title=When Jagjit Singh's father 'almost ended relationship' with singer for cutting hair and beard; he was barred from performance due to the new look |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/music/when-jagjit-singh-almost-end-his-relationship-with-his-father-for-cutting-his-hair-beard-was-barred-from-performing-because-of-new-look-8197018/ |access-date=2023-08-06 |website=The Indian Express |language=en |quote=But Singh also had to face graver repercussions of this step. It “almost put an end to his connection with his father” who took offence as cutting hair is against the Namdhari Sikh principles.}}</ref> His father, Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman, was a surveyor with the government's Public Works' Department and hailed from village Dalla in [[Ropar district]] of [[Punjab]].

Educated initially at Khalsa High School and Government College in Sri Ganganagar, Singh obtained an arts degree from [[DAV College]], [[Jalandhar]].<ref name=Guardian20111025 /> There, he began his professional career in 1961 by undertaking singing and composing assignments at [[All India Radio]]'s (AIR) Jalandhar station.<ref name=TOI20021110/> Later, he studied to obtain a post-graduate degree in history from [[Kurukshetra University]] in [[Haryana]]. Throughout this time, and as a consequence of a natural talent that was spotted by his father, Singh learned music initially from a visually impaired master of Indian classical music, ''Pandit Chagan Lal Sharma'' and later from ''Ustad Jamal Khan'' of [[Maihar gharana]], who taught and trained him in all the prominent styles of [[Hindustani Classical]] vocal tradition such as [[Khayal]], [[Dhrupad]], [[Thumri]] and others. Throughout his teenage years, he performed on stage and composed music. Although his father, who was a government employee, had hoped that he would become an engineer,<ref name=Guardian20111025>{{cite news |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |title=Jagjit Singh obituary |first=Asjad |last=Nazir |date=25 October 2011 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/oct/25/jagjit-singh-obituary |access-date=11 January 2012}}</ref> Singh pursued his passion for music relentlessly. Like all parents in Indian middle-class families, his father aspired for him to become a bureaucrat. However, he also encouraged Singh and his siblings to learn music.<ref name=TOI20021110>{{cite news |last=Sawhney |first=Anubha |title=Unforgettable moments with Jagjit Singh|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/27885263.cms|access-date=11 January 2012|newspaper=Times of India|date=10 November 2002}}</ref>

In March 1965, and without the knowledge of his family,<ref name=Guardian20111025 /> Singh moved to [[Bombay]], where there were many opportunities for music artists because of the [[Hindi]] film industry. He obtained work initially as a singer of advertising jingles and later progressed to [[playback singing]].<ref name=Independent20111013>{{cite news |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |title=Jagjit Singh: Singer hailed as the maestro of Indian ghazal |date=13 October 2011 |first=Ken |last=Hunt |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jagjit-singh-singer-hailed-as-the-maestro-of-indian-ghazal-2369631.html |access-date=11 January 2012}}</ref>