Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Braddah IZ or just simply IZ, was a Native Hawaiian musician and singer.

Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole was born at Kuakini Medical Center on May 20, 1959, in Honolulu to Henry "Hank" Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwoʻole Jr. and Evangeline "Angie" Leinani Kamakawiwoʻole, who worked at a popular Waikiki nightclub.

His mother was the manager while his father was a bouncer; his father was also driver of a sanitation truck at the U.S. Navy shipyard at Pearl Harbor.

The notable Hawaiian musician Moe Keale was Kamakawiwoʻole's uncle and a major musical influence.

Kamakawiwoʻole was raised in the community of Kaimuki, where his parents had met and married.

Kamakawiwoʻole began playing music with his older brother, Henry Kaleialoha Naniwa Kamakawiwoʻole III ("Skippy"), and cousin Allen Thornton at the age of 11 after being exposed to the music of Hawaiian entertainers of the time such as Peter Moon, Palani Vaughan, Keola Beamer and Don Ho, who frequented the establishment where Kamakawiwoʻole's parents worked.

Hawaiian musician Del Beazley spoke of the first time he heard Kamakawiwoʻole perform, when, while playing for a graduation party, the whole room fell silent on hearing him sing.

Kamakawiwoʻole remained in Hawaii as his brother Skippy entered the Army in 1971 and his cousin Allen moved to the mainland in 1976.

In his early teens, Kamakawiwoʻole studied at Upward Bound (UB) of the University of Hawaii at Hilo and his family moved to Mākaha.

There, Kamakawiwoʻole met Louis Kauakahi, Sam Gray, and Jerome Koko.

Together with Skippy, they formed the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau.

A part of the Hawaiian Renaissance, the band's blend of contemporary and traditional styles gained in popularity as they toured Hawaii and the mainland United States, releasing fifteen successful albums.

Kamakawiwoʻole's aim was to make music that stayed true to the typical sound of traditional Hawaiian music.

His cousin Bill Keale is also a musician.

The Makaha Sons of Niʻihau recorded No Kristo in 1976 and released several more albums, including Hoʻoluana, Kahea O Keale, Keala, Makaha Sons of Niʻihau and Mahalo Ke Akua.

In 1982, Skippy died at age 28 of a heart attack.

Later that year, Kamakawiwoʻole married his childhood sweetheart Marlene.

They had a daughter named Ceslie-Ann "Wehi" Kamakawiwoʻole (born c. 1983).

The group became Hawaii's most popular contemporary traditional group with breakout albums 1984's Puana Hou Me Ke Aloha and its follow-up, 1986's Hoʻola.

In 1990, Kamakawiwoʻole released his first solo album Ka ʻAnoʻi, which won awards for Contemporary Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year from the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).

Kamakawiwoʻole's last recorded album with the group was 1991's Hoʻoluana.

It remains the group's top-selling CD.

He achieved commercial success and popularity outside of Hawaii with his 1993 studio album, Facing Future.

His medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" was released on his albums Ka ʻAnoʻi and Facing Future, and was subsequently featured in various media.

The song has had 358 weeks on top of the World Digital Songs chart, making it the longest-leading number-one hit on any of the Billboard song charts.

Kamakawiwoʻole is regarded as one of the greatest musicians from Hawaii and is the most successful musician from the state.

Along with his ukulele playing and incorporation of other genres, such as jazz and reggae, Kamakawiwoʻole remains influential on Hawaiian music.

Facing Future was released in 1993 by The Mountain Apple Company.

It featured a version of his most popular song, the medley "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" (listed as "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World"), along with "Hawaiʻi '78", "White Sandy Beach", "Maui Hawaiian Sup'pa Man", and "Kaulana Kawaihae".

The decision to include a cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was said to be a last-minute one by Kamakawiwoʻole's producer Jon de Mello and Kamakawiwoʻole.

Facing Future debuted at No.25 on Billboard magazine's Top Pop Catalogue chart.

In 1994, Kamakawiwoʻole was voted favorite entertainer of the year by the Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts (HARA).

E Ala E (1995) featured the political title song "ʻE Ala ʻE" and "Kaleohano", and N Dis Life (1996) featured "In This Life" and "Starting All Over Again".

In 1997, Kamakawiwoʻole was again honored by HARA at the annual Na Hoku Hanohano Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year, Favorite Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, and Island Contemporary Album of the Year.

He watched the awards ceremony from a hospital room.

The posthumously released album Alone in Iz World (2001) debuted at No.1 on Billboard World Chart and No.135 on Billboard Top200, No.13 on the Top Independent Albums Chart, and No.15 on the Top Internet Album Sales charts.

Kamakawiwoʻole's album Facing Future is the best-selling album by a Hawaiian artist in history.

On October 26, 2005, Facing Future became Hawaiʻi's first certified platinum album, selling more than a million CDs in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

On July 21, 2006, BBC Radio 1 announced that "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World (True Dreams)" would be released as a single in America.

He was named "The Voice of Hawai‘i" by NPR in 2010.