The big break was soon to follow as the legendary music director G Devarajan after hearing him sing gave him the evergreen Manjalayil Mungi Thorthi in the 1966 movie Kalithozhan.

Anuragagaanam pole, Neelagiriyude Sakhikale, which won him his first Kerala State Film award for Best Singer in 1972, Raagam Sreeraagam, Karimukil Kaattile, Prayam Nammil Moham Nalki, Ariyathe Ariyathe, Olanjali Kuruvi and Araraarum Kanaathe are among his other famous songs.

He was conferred the National award for best singer for the song Sivasankara Sarva Saranya Vibho in the film Sree Narayana Guru (1985).

In Tamil, he worked with all the three greats — MS Viswanathan, Illayaraja and AR Rahman.

Raasaathi Unna and Kaathirundhu Kaathirundhu with Illayaraja and Kathazham Kattuvazhi with AR Rahman, which won him a Tamil Nadu State Film award for best singer, are some of his famous songs in the language.

He also sang in Kannada, Telugu and Hindi films.

A self-taught singer, Jayachandran grabbed the heart of generations through his voice and soulful style of singing.

He was married to Latha and had settled at Poonkunnam in Thrissur. Lakshmi and Dinanath are his children.