Ebiet G. Ade was born in Wonodadi, Banjarnegara, Central Java on 21 April 1954. He lived in Yogyakarta since elementary school. During high school, he joined Pelajar Islam Indonesia. In 1971, he associated with artists Yogyakarta, including Emha Ainun Nadjib. He was interested in poetry and wanted to be a poet.

