LIFE AND TIMES OF FAIRUZ

Born on November 21, 1934, as Nouhad Wadie Haddad but professionally known as Fairuz - spelled as Fayrouz, Feyrouz or Fairouz in some quarters. 

TOP 25 FAIRUZ SONGS PLAYLIST [VIDEO]

This versatile Lebanese female singer is one of the region's most acclaimed singers of all time.

Fairuz stands out as a well acknowledged music icon both in the Arab world and globally. Born in Zuqaq al-Blat, Beirut State of Greater Lebanon, Lebanon to a rather conservative Lebanese Christian Orthodox family (Maronite Christians), Her father (Wadi) worked in a print shop as a typesetter while her mother (Lisa) was a stay-at-home-mom.

Fairuz later converted to become an Eastern Orthodox Christian, this decision was influenced by her marriage to the very man who vastly contributed to her musical success, Assi Rahbani (One of the popular Rahbani Brothers), what many do not know is that Fairuz is the proud mother of Lebanese musical genius, the popular composer, playwright, music arranger and pianist Ziad Rahbani, late movie director, Layal Rahbani, popular musician Haley Rahbani and popular Lebanese movie director Rima Rahbani. 

Fairuz majors in Arabic music and has taken the musical genre to the world. Fairuz's musical prowess was discovered at a very tender age, although was a very shy child and did not have friends during her younger days but was very close friends with her grandmother who she confided in greatly. Fairuz at age 10 was popular in school as a unique singer with a rather unusual voice.

Fairuz performed regularly at school shows and events and she was known to keep her audience spell-bound for minutes on end. In 1950, Fairuz was noticed and picked by popular musician, Mohammed Flayfel, who happened to attend an event in her school where her sonorous voice caught his rapt attention. 

In 1971, Fairuz went on a tour of North America which was a breakthrough for her musical career internationally, in 1975 made her first European TV appearance on French TV on May 24 where she performed her song Habbaytak Bissayf on the Numero 1 show.

Fairuz has worked professionally with her son Ziad Rahbani since 1979 and he has been in charge of all her musical productions, promotions and management till this day. She passed away peacefully in 1986.