Chennai, Dec. 11: Carnatic music doyen and Bharat Ratna M.S. Subbulakshmi died here tonight after prolonged illness. She was 88.

The end came around 11.30 pm at the St Isabel Hospital in Chennai, doctors and close relatives announced after midnight.

MS, as she was popularly known, had been suffering from diabetes for many years. She was admitted to the hospital a few months ago for treatment of urinary tract infection. She recovered but was readmitted on November 30 with viral infection, which led to bronchitis pneumonia, her doctors said. Two days ago, she had developed a cardiac irregularity.

She is survived by two stepdaughters and an adopted son.

The male-dominated Carnatic music world discovered its first queen before India became free. Such was MS? voice and the depth of her devotional music that Dr S. Radhakrishnan had described her as ?a gift of the gods which she placed at the service of the nation?.

Born on September 16, 1916, in Madurai, MS began taking classical music lessons from her mother, an accomplished veena player, and then K.V. Bhagavatar.

Praises she received plenty during a successful career, but perhaps none better than Jawaharlal Nehru?s. ?Who am I, a mere Prime Minister before a Queen of Song?? he said, not once but thrice.