32 Facts About Ahmad Dhani

Dhani Ahmad Prasetyo, better known as Ahmad Dhani, sometimes Dhani Muhammad Prasetyo or Dhani S Manaf, is an Indonesian musician.

Ahmad Dhani was the frontman of Dewa 19 with his colleague Once Mekel as the co-lead singer, and Ahmad Band, and a member of the inter-continental band The Rock.

Ahmad Dhani is the owner and chairman of Republik Cinta Management.

Ahmad Dhani has won numerous awards including the Indonesian Music Awards for best musical arrangement.

Ahmad Dhani is one of the most influential musicians in Southeast Asia.

Dhani Ahmad Prasetyo was born in 1972 in Surabaya, East Java, as the first of three children of Eddy Abdul Manaf, a diplomat of Sundanese origin from Garut, West Java, and Joyce Theresia Pamela Kohler, an Indonesian of German descent.

In 2020, Ahmad Dhani denied reports that his maternal grandfather, Jan Pieter Friederich Kohler, a German born in the then-Dutch-occupied country in 1883, was an Ashkenazi Jew.

Ahmad Dhani's father bought him a keyboard when he was young and enrolled him for music lessons, hoping Ahmad Dhani would excel in classical music.

Ahmad Dhani was largely influenced by the British rock band Queen.

Ahmad Dhani formed his first musical group, Dewa, in 1986 with Andra Junaidi, Erwin Prasetya, and Henry Juniarso.

Ahmad Dhani skipped school to jam with his friends at Juniarso's house in the Airlangga University complex.

The lack of modern recording studios in Surabaya prompted Ahmad Dhani to move to Jakarta in 1989 in search of a record deal for Dewa 19.

The band's first album, Master Mister Ahmad Dhani I, sold more than 150,000 copies in Indonesia.

Unlike the Rock, TRIAD has five to six members unofficially appearing onstage and even sometimes four members, with Ahmad Dhani performing as lead singer and rhythm guitarist.

In 2010, Ahmad Dhani sang with Ari Lasso at concerts in Jakarta and Bali, leading to rumors of a Dewa 19 reunion.

In Bali, Ahmad Dhani announced he would form a band with Judika, the winner of Indonesian Idol 2007.

The complete album's release was stalled because Ahmad Dhani was preoccupied with his role as a judge on Indonesian Idol and X Factor Indonesia.

Ahmad Dhani released his first song in Javanese, Aja Kuwi a few weeks before the 2014 presidential election.

Ahmad Dhani married Maia Estianty in 1996, after a long relationship when Maia was still in high school in Surabaya.

Ahmad Dhani has been described, as one of the richest performers in Indonesia.

On 21 May 2014, Ahmad Dhani announced his support for ex-general Prabowo Subianto's campaign for the July 9 presidential election.

In June 2014, Ahmad Dhani released a video clip in support of Prabowo and his running mate Hatta Rajasa.

On 23 June 2014, a Twitter post allegedly by Ahmad Dhani stated that he would cut off his penis if presidential contender Joko Widodo and his running mate, former vice president Jusuf Kalla won the election.

Ahmad Dhani later claimed he never made the tweet and filed complaints against online media outlets that carried news of the controversial tweet.

In September 2016, after undergoing a drug test while running for office as the deputy regent of Bekasi, Ahmad Dhani said he had used drugs, including heroin, in the 1990s because, he claimed, Indonesia at that time did not have a law prohibiting drugs.

On 2 December 2016, Ahmad Dhani was arrested at a Jakarta hotel on suspicion of involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow the government.

Ahmad Dhani was released a day later but remained a suspect over alleged defamation of the president.

Ahmad Dhani's trial commenced in April 2018 at South Jakarta District Court.

Ahmad Dhani was released from Cipinang jail on 30 December 2019.

Ahmad Dhani said he would continue to support Prabowo's presidential aspirations.

Ahmad Dhani once gave a statement that he supports LGBT and will legalize same-sex marriage if he is elected president.

Ahmad Dhani even forbade his son to study in London for fear of homosexuality.