M. G. Radhakrishnan was born on 29 July 1940 at Haripad, in Alappuzha district, Kerala as the eldest of three children of music composer and harmonist Malabar Gopalan and Harikatha exponent Kamalakshi marasyar.

[citation needed] Radhakrishnan was married to Padmaja, who was herself famous as a poet, lyricist and classical dancer.

He died on 2 July 2010 at KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram due to liver disease, less than a month short of his 70th birthday.

In his official capacity, Radhakrishnan worked as staff and become the senior music composer (Grade 1) in Akashvani, Trivandrum.

[citation needed] His wife Padmaja, who outlived him for nearly ten years, died on 15 June 2020 following a heart attack.