Usha Uthup Iyer, born on November 7, 1947, is an Indian singer known for her versatile singing style encompassing pop, filmi, jazz, and playback genres. She rose to fame in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her distinctive voice and energetic performances.

One of Usha Uthup's notable achievements was winning the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 2012 for the song "Darling," which she recorded with Rekha Bhardwaj for the film 7 Khoon Maaf.

She also lent her voice to the title song of the popular TV show Sarabhai vs Sarabhai during its first season.

Usha Uthup was born into a Tamil Iyer family in Mumbai. Her father, Vaidyanath Someshwar Sami Iyer, hailed from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She attended St. Agnes High School in Byculla. Despite being thrown out of music class due to her unique voice, her music teacher recognized her talent and gave her clappers and triangles to play. Though not formally trained in music, she grew up in a musical environment, listening to a wide range of genres from Western classical to Hindustani and Carnatic music, including artists like Kishori Amonkar and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Usha Uthup's interest in Hindi and Indian classical music was influenced by her neighbor's daughter, Jamila, whose father was a deputy commissioner of police. Usha's fusion approach, combining different musical styles, helped her pioneer her unique brand of Indian pop in the 1970s. She is married to Jani Chacko Uthup, and they have a daughter named Anjali and a son named Sunny.

Her singing career began at the age of nine when she performed on the Ovaltine Music Hour of Radio Ceylon after being introduced to Ameen Sayani, a popular radio announcer in India. She gained popularity singing in nightclubs in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Her breakthrough in Bollywood came with her performances at nightclubs frequented by film industry personnel, leading to opportunities in movie playback singing. She started her Bollywood career with the film Bombay Talkies (1970), singing an English number composed by Shankar-Jaikishan and later singing "Hare Rama Hare Krishna."

Usha Uthup recorded covers of popular English pop songs like "Jambalaya" and "Greenback Dollar" on her EP Love Story, which sold well in the Indian market. She also sang in London and Nairobi, where she gained popularity singing nationalistic songs in Swahili and recorded a live album with a local band.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Usha Uthup sang numerous songs for music directors R. D. Burman and Bappi Lahiri. She popularized songs like "Mehbooba Mehbooba" and "Dum Maro Dum" by giving them her unique touch.

Usha Uthup has recorded albums with various artists and has been a popular stage performer worldwide. She has received several awards, including the Rajiv Gandhi Purashkar for National Integration for quality music and the Mahila Shiromani Purashkar for international peace. Usha Uthup has also appeared as a judge on singing reality shows and has made guest appearances on television programs.

Her vibrant personality and distinct voice have made her a beloved figure in the Indian music industry, and she continues to entertain audiences with her performances