On 13 October 1987his brother Ashok's 76th birthdayhe died of a heart attack in Bombay at 4:45 pm. His body was taken to Khandwa for cremation. Kumar had recorded his last song, "Guru Guru"a duet with Asha Bhosle for the film "Waqt Ki Aawaz" (1988) composed by Bappi Lahiri for Mithun Chakraborty and Sridevithe day before he died. His song "Pal Bhar Ke Liye" from the film "Johny Mera Naam" (1970) was used in an episode of "The Simpsons" titled "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore". His songs have been featured in several films, including "Such a Long Journey" (1998) and "Side Streets" (1998). Sony TV organised the television singing contest "K For Kishore" to search for a singer like Kumar.