When Bappi Lahiri refused to give his gold necklace to Michael Jackson [Throwback]

Bappi Lahiri breathed his last today. The legendary singer passed away at the age of 69 in Mumbai. The reason behind his passing away to heavenly abode was reportedly obstructive sleep apnea. The legend not only brought disco into the Indian music industry but also made a cult following. His love for songs and gold was not hidden from anyone.

The interesting incident happened in 1996. Michael Jackson was in Mumbai for an event when he came across Bappi Da. Apart from Bappi's song - Jimmy Jimmy, he also became quite interested in his gold Ganpati pendant. It was on the Kapil Sharma Show, that Bappi Lahiri revealed his interaction with MJ.

Bappi Lahiri's interaction with MJ

MJ asked Bappi his name and whether he was a composer. To this, Bappi said, "Yes, I have done Disco Dancer." And MJ was quick to say, "I like your song Jimmy Jimmy".

Bappi da revealed that MJ had his eyes on his gold pendant but he just couldn't part with it. Bappi da said, "He (MJ) has everything, whereas I have only this gold that is lucky for me. There was one more thing — I was born in Kolkata but it is the soil of Maharashtra that gave me its blessing. If I gave Michael the Ganesh, then maybe the blessing would leave me too."

Obstructive sleep apnea

A PTI report has stated that Lahiri passed away due to OSA. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tissues in throat, nose, tongue muscles suddenly become soft and relaxed. The airway gets extremely narrowed and even closes down completely in some cases, thus cutting off air.