Legendary musician, the saxophone exponent Kadri Gopalnath passed away early morning today in a private hospital located in Mangalore. The popular musician was 69, and had been suffering from illness for sometime.

Padmashree award winner Kadri Gopalnath is survived by his wife and two sons among whom Manikanth Kadri is a music director. His family is waiting for the arrival of another son from Kuwait to complete the last rites at his home in Padavinangady.

Gopalnath was born in 1950, in Mittakere, Sajeepa Mooda village of Dakshina Kannada. Kadri Gopalnath is celebrated as the one who introduced saxophone in Carnatic music. He received Padma Shri from Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2004 and is popularly known among Tamil film music lovers for playing saxophone for AR Rahman in the movie Duet.