Ziad Rahbani is the son of the Lebanese famous composer Assi Rahbani and Nuhad Haddad, the famous Lebanese female singer known as Fairouz.
He composed many songs for his mother Fairouz, as well as other singers, and he has released music albums of his own. Many of his musicals satirised the political situation in Lebanon during and after the civil war, often strongly critical of the traditional political establishment; others addressed more philosophical questions. He played the lead role in all his plays, and has generally been reluctant to allow the filming of his plays.
Ziad was married to Dalal Karam and had a son named "Assi Jr" with her. But his marriage was doomed to fail, and they got divorced. That led Dalal to write her life with Ziad in the gossip magazine "Ashabaka". Ziad composed some songs about their relationship like "Marba el Dalal" and "Bisaraha", amongst others.
After the divorce, Ziad had a well-publicized relationship with actress Carmen Lubbos that went on for 15 years before they agreed to separate.
Politically, Ziad Rahbani has a long standing relationship with Lebanese leftist movements, and is a self-declared communist.Being a Christian, his politics have meant that he has been at odds with some of his co-religionists. During the Lebanese civil war, Ziad resided in mainly Muslim West Beirut.
Ziad's first known artistic work was "Sadiqi Allah" (My Friend God), a collection of writings between the years 1967 and 1968 when he was in his teens.
In 1973, at 17, Ziad composed his first music for Fairuz, his mother. Assi Rahbani his father was hospitalized and his mother Fairuz was to play the leading role in "Al Mahatta" by the Rahbani brothers, so Mansour Rahbani, his uncle, who had written the lyrics of a song about Assi Rahbani's forced absence, gave Ziad Rahbani the task of composing its music. The song "Saalouni El Nass" became instantly a great hit.gs between the years 1967 and 1968 when he was in his teens.
In 1973, at 17, Ziad composed his first music for Fairuz, his mother. Assi Rahbani his father was hospitalized and his mother Fairuz was to play the leading role in "Al Mahatta" by the Rahbani brothers, so Mansour Rahbani, his uncle, who had written the lyrics of a song about Assi Rahbani's forced absence, gave Ziad Rahbani the task of composing its music. The song "Saalouni El Nass" became instantly a great hit.