Indian singing icon Shamshad Begum has died. She was 94.

The star, whose music was used in Bollywood films for more than 60 years, passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday (23Apr13). She had been suffering from declining health in recent months.

Begum began her career on radio in 1947, before moving into performing songs for films and becoming one of Bollywood's earliest "playback singers", or stars who pre-record their vocals for lip-syncing actresses.

In 2009 she was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's most prestigious civilian honours.

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan took to his Twitter.com page on Wednesday (24Apr13) to pay tribute to the late star, writing, "The golden voice of Shamshad Begum, play back singer of great eminence in some of the most historic film songs... now silent... Rip."

Singer Lata Mangeshkar, who recorded the duet Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat with Begum, also tweeted, "I am saddened to hear of the death of Shamshad Begum. I have sung with her in several films and she had a pleasant and simple personality."