He was known as "Kamal King" — as he also was a sound engineer and co-manager of King Musical Industries Sdn Bhd.
Jennifer Thompson, 47, a producer with the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) told The Malay Mail that Kamaruddin, 44, was an ex-colleague while she was at King's studio.
"I enjoyed working with him. He was a friendly and hardworking person who liked music. He was also passionate about his work."
Kamaruddin joined King's Studio in 1991 and was involved in recording many local artistes. Said Thompson: "During the 1990s, King's Studio was a top recording place where many singers come. He recorded songs with many singers, including local rock outfit Lefthanded's frontman Nash, Ella, Search, Datuk Sharifah Aini and many more."
Music producer Dino Jamaludin Rasol also recalled when Kamaruddin was first asked to manage the recording studio, he took it with interest.
"After the economic recession, the sound engineers were allowed to manage King's Studio. In 1994, Kamaruddin and I first teamed up, and over the next few years, we helped build King's Studio up to the top of the local recording industry."
Dino said that Kamaruddin often played 'peacekeeper' during recording sessions.
"Sometimes, band members and artistes argued and fought among themselves. Kamaruddin, kind as he was, would gently advise them to calm down or even take them out for beverages to cool off.
"He was soft-spoken, polite and a workaholic. I remember him spending sleepless nights at the studio just to get the right blend of music. He just had to add part of himself in the recordings. It leaves a personal touch, he used to say."
Passionate and dedicated as was, Dino said, Kamaruddin could not help his love for music. "I remember him being a sessionist bass player for Saturine some time ago. The three-piece band consisted of us sound engineers, and Kamaruddin, as usual, was in the thick of the action."
As the music industry slowed down over the years, Kamaruddin chose to be part-time at King's studio which he comanaged with several others.
Kamaruddin was also a close friend and sound engineer to Nash, who was then married to Sosilawati. After the couple went their separate ways, she accepted Kamaruddin as her personal assistant.
When news broke about Kamaruddin's death, Dino and many of his former clients didn't know it was him as they knew him as 'Kamal King'.
It was only later did they know it was 'Kamal King' they had lost.
"Kamaruddin had big dreams," Dino continued. "He was saving money to open his own recording studio in his hometown in Kuantan."
Kamaruddin and Sosilawati were among four, including lawyer Ahmad Kamail Abdul Karim, 32, and bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, believed to have been murdered after they went missing on Aug 30.
Police had said their charred remains were strewn in the river and in several other streams in the vicinity of a poultry farm in Ladang Gadong, near Banting, about a week later.
