Singer Farid Hardja dies at 50 of heart attack

Farid Hardja, a local pop singer, died of a heart attack at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta on Sunday. He was 50 years old.

He is survived by his third wife, Lela Farid, who is seven months pregnant, Antara said.

Farid, who was known for his large size and preference for robe-like costumes, died at about 4 a.m. after being treated in the hospital's intensive care unit for two days, morgue official Syafei said.

The body of the singer, who was born in Sukabumi, West Java, on Sept. 7, 1948, was claimed by his wife and will be buried on Sunday in his hometown.

Farid was known for his hits such as Karmila and Ini Rindu (My Longing). He made his mark on Indonesia's pop world when he was lead singer of the Bani Adam group band.

He recently performed in neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. Antara quoted his sister, Mrs. Tatik, as saying that Farid was exhausted after his tour to various cities and that his blood sugar level had increased.

In addition to his songs, Farid also made news in 1991 for his second marriage which lasted only four days.

Farid divorced his wife and went public with the story that he had been conned into marrying a woman who was no longer a virgin. This invited furious criticism from many women, but Farid and his ex-wife eventually settled the dispute amicably out of court.

Farid's first marriage ended a few months previously. (jun)