Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
Krishnamurthy was born on 10 March 1930 to B. S. Vishweshwaraiah and Subbamma. His father, Vishweshwaraiah was a zamindar in Bettadapura, Mysore. As a young boy, Krishnamurthy was drawn towards singing and acting. He exhibited his singing talent during a Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in front of carnatic vocalist Musiri Subramania Iyer and the then Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV. Having been impressed by his performance, the Maharaja compared him to Musiri Subramania Iyer, after which Krishnamurthy was known as Musuri Krishnamurthy to all.