Fairuz is more than a singer: she is an icon, a true global superstar. Nouhad Wadie’ Haddad was born in Beirut, Lebanon on November 21, 1934. Although her singing career began as a teenager she didn’t adopt the name Fairuz (the Arabic word for turquoise) until she worked as a singer on a Lebanese radio station in the 1950s. She rose to stardom because of her exceptional vocal skills that blend western and Arab musical styles. Fairuz was already known as the “First Lady of Lebanese singing” when she went on her 1971 North American tour. The U.S. is just one of the many countries in which she has performed sold-out tours and shows in her lifetime.
She was a mainstay on Arab radio stations around the world for decades and has sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
Fairuz is often called “the soul of Lebanon” and remains the greatest living Arab diva.