Was Ziad Rahbani married? All about Lebanese composer’s family as he dies at 69

Lebanese music composer and singer Ziad Rahbani died at the age of 69. He was the son of legendary singer Fairuz and musician Assi Rahbani, according to Gulf News.

He reportedly died of a heart attack at the age of 69. A statement from Fouad Khoury Hospital in Hamra, Beirut, was confirmed on July 26, 2025. It read:

“On Saturday at 9:00am, the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating. The family was immediately informed. Fate wanted this exceptional artist, who has left us with his imprint on the history of Lebanese art, theatre and music, to leave us.”

He had been suffering from a long illness and was undergoing treatment, as per the reports.

Ziad Rahbani was married to Dalal Karam, who belonged to a conservative middle-class family. After tying the knot in 1979, the couple welcomed a son a couple of years later. However, their marriage ultimately ended in divorce.

Continue to read more about his family.

All we know about Ziad Rahbani’s family

Ziad Rahbani was born on January 1, 1956, in Antelias, near Beirut. He was the eldest son of his parents, Fairuz and Assi Rahbani. He attended the Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour.

He launched his artistic career in the 1970s, when he featured in the play “Sahriyé” (evening). At the age of 17, he composed his first song, Sa'alouni el nas, which his mother sang. It was followed by some more of his compositions for his mother, including Kifak enta and Bektoub esmak.

Zaid Rahbani had three siblings – his sisters, Rima, Layal, and brother Hali. According to The Collector, Rima worked on producing their mother’s shows, Layal passed away from a brain haemorrhage at 17, and Hali is differently abled.

After his marriage to Dalal Karam in the 1970s, Ziad Rahbani found out that he was not the biological father of his son, Assi, who was named after his father. This came to light when, in 2004, he took a DNA test. According to Gulf News, he said:

“I told his mother that I don't want this young man to carry my name. I wanted to make it very discreetly in order to spare him all these difficulties, but Dalal didn't take any action, so I find myself today forced to start the proceedings.”

He continued:

“I know that there are two injured parties in this case; the Rahbani family and the young Assi who didn't do anything wrong. I, like him am in this case stuck in the middle of it without being guilty of anything.”

Their marriage ultimately ended in divorce. Last. Fm reported that in 2009, Zaid Rahbani filed a lawsuit against his wife with the Lebanese courts, requesting to disown his son, Assi Rahbani Jr., which would strip him of his surname on all official records.

President Joseph Aoun paid tribute to Rahbani’s demise, remembering him, he said in a translated post on X:

“Ziad Rahbani was not just an artist; he was a complete intellectual and cultural phenomenon. More than that, he was a living conscience, a defiant voice against injustice, and a true mirror for the oppressed and marginalised. He gave voice to people's pain and played on the strings of truth without hesitation.”

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam wrote:

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“Lebanon has lost an exceptional and creative artist, a free voice that remained faithful to the values of justice and dignity” and who said “what many did not dare to say.”

Rahbani is one of the celebrated figures in the Lebanese theatre and music industry. As the son of the legendary singer Fairuz and composer Assi Rahbani, he transformed Lebanon’s rich culture through his evergreen music compositions.

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