Lai Ho was born into a family that was part of the "little tradition" of folk or popular customs. His grandfather was an itinerant musician who played at weddings and funerals, while his father was a Taoist priest.
賴和出生於民間「小傳統」家庭，祖父是鄉間出入喜慶葬儀場合的「弄鈸仔」（類似流浪樂師的民間藝人），父親是道士。