Jagjit Singh--born as Jagmohan Singh--obtained an arts degree from DAV College in Jallandhar.
He began his professional career in 1961 by undertaking singing and composing assignments at All India Radio's (AIR) Jallandhar station.
Not from a well-off family, as a child Jagjit Singh used to study by the light of lanterns, due to lack of electricity in the house. In an interview, Singh had stated that they even lacked the facility of running water.
His father, Sardar Amar Singh Dhiman, who was a government employee, had hoped that Jagjit would become an engineer.
He married Chitra Dutta in December 1969, and together they went on to release The Unforgettable in 1976.
The couple's joint projects ceased in 1990, when their 18-year-old son, Vivek was killed in a road accident. Chitra felt unable to sing following these events. Monica, Chitra's daughter from her first marriage, committed suicide in 2009.
He is the only composer and singer to have composed and recorded songs written by former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee--also a poet--in two albums, Nayi Disha (1999) and Samvedna (2002).
In February 2014, Government of India released a postal stamp Jagjit Singh's his honour.