Modern Arab music was shaped by a few highly creative individuals throughout the 20th century. Three of them were members of one family : The Rahbanis of Lebanon, comprised of the two brothers Assi and Mansour, and a singer named Nuhad Haddad who married Assi and took the name Fairouz. For more than three decades, the Rahbani Brothers wrote and composed songs that Fairouz sang and musicals in which she starred. Their prolific works are considered a treasure by generations of Arabs worldwide. Assi's demanding career took a heavy toll on his health and he suffered a brain hemorrhage. On June 21, 1986 Assi Rahbani died after spending several weeks in a coma, leaving behind him a great legacy to his compatriots and an inspiration to all Arab artists.
