Ahmad Zahir (Dari/Pashto: ; 14 June 1946 – 14 June 1979) was an Afghan singer, songwriter and composer. Dubbed the "Elvis of Afghanistan", he is widely considered the all-time greatest singer of Afghanistan. The majority of his songs were sung in Dari, and he also sang many songs in Pashto, as well as a few in Russian Urdu and English. Born in Kabul, Zahir recorded at least 14 studio albums before his abrupt death on his 33rd birthday in 1979. His music blended folk music, Persian literature, Indian classical music and Western pop and rock styles. Among Afghans, he is considered an icon of Afghan music and is widely regarded as the single greatest musician of all time, posthumously reclaiming immortal fame due to his contributions and influence on music in Afghanistan. He has also become an icon of peacetime pre-war Afghanistan. Early years Ahmad Zahir was born on 14 June 1946 (Jauza 24, 1325 of the Jalali calendar) in Kabul, Afghanistan to a Pashtun family. His father, Abdul Zahir, was a royal court doctor who served as minister of health and Prime Minister of Afghanistan between 1971 and 1972. He was a speaker of the parliament and an influential figure in King Zahir Shah's era who helped write the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan. Zahir had an older sister, Zahira Zahir, who would later be known as the hairdresser of U.S. President Ronald Reagan and others. Career Zahir attended Habibia High School in Kabul and formed "the amateur band of Habibia High School" including Omar Sultan on guitar, Farid Zaland on congas, and Akbar Nayab on piano. Zahir played the accordion and sang. They played locally during celebratory occasions like Nowruz, Eid ul-Fitr, and Afghan Independence Day. Zahir gained considerable popularity in Kabul as a talented singer with a soulful voice. His baritone chest voice and evocative singing gave him the title of "Bulbul-e- Habibya", "the Nightingale of Habibia". He attended and graduated from Daru' l-Malimeen ("Teachers' College") in Kabul, and studied for two years in India to get a degree as an English instructor. After his return from India, Zahir got a job as a journalist for The Kabul Times, but soon began work on his first album. He worked closely with Afghan composers Nainawaz and Taranasaz. His first recorded song, "Gar Kuni Yak Nizara", was his own composition, blending Indian raga with western pop rhythms. Zahir worked with