Asha Bhosle was born in Sangli, now in Maharashtra on September 8, 1933. Her real name was Asha Mangeshkar. She is the sister of playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.

At the age of 10, in 1943, Asha Bhosle sang her first song 'Chala Chala Nav Bala'. Both sisters, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle began singing to support their family. At the age of 16, in 1949, Asha Bhosle sang her first solo song for the movie Raat Ki Raani.

She holds a Guinness World Record for recording the most studio tracks by a playback singer, with over 12,000 songs in 20+ languages. In 1997, Asha Bhosle became the first Indian singer to be nominated for a Grammy.

Asha has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honours in arts and cinema. In 2011, she was honoured with the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to music.

Asha ji got married at the very young age of 16, she married Ganpatrao Bhosle who was twice her age against her family's wishes. To note, he was Lata Mangeshkar's manager and this created rift between sisters.

She had two daughters and one son with him. Asha and Ganpatrao separated in 1960 as he was against her singing. Asha ji's daughter Varsha committed suicide at the age of 56 after suffering from depression. Her youngest son Hemant died of cancer in 2015.

The singer later married the well-known music composer. R D Burman in 1980. Pancham Da was 6 years younger than Asha ji.

Asha Bhosle has never hesitated when it comes to trying something new. Other than experimenting with different genres of music, she has also tried her hand at acting. The singer stepped in front of the camera with the Marathi film Mai.

A significant portion of her wealth comes from her international restaurant chain, "Asha's," launched in 2002. The brand has multiple outlets across the Middle East and the UK.  She owns several properties, including her prized residence at Prabhu Kunj on Peddar Road in Mumbai, as well as properties in Pune. 

She has collaborated with global artists, including The Kronos Quartet and Boy George, showcasing her music on the world stage.

Several iconic Asha Bhosle songs, particularly from the early 1970s, were banned or restricted by All India Radio and Doordarshan due to their bold, suggestive, or "raunchy" nature. The most prominent banned songs included "Dum Maro Dum" (1971) for glamorizing hippie culture/drugs and "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja."

In October 2025, the Bombay High Court granted an interim injunction protecting legendary singer Asha Bhosle's personality rights against AI-driven voice cloning and unauthorized commercial use of her image and likeness.