Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole – born in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 20, 1959 – was a singer, songwriter and musician better known as IZ and Bruddah Iz. In 1976, he and his brother Skippy founded the group The Mākaha Sons of Niʻihau together with other musicians. The group released numerous albums and received many honors from the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards and the Hawaii Music Awards. In the early 1990s, IZ left the band to focus on a solo career. He released four studio albums and, in his lyrics, was always campaigning for the interests of the Hawaiians and the protection of nature. He achieved his greatest success during his lifetime with the album Facing Future (1993) which included the single "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World." This unique medley of Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" was a sizable hit but would become an international hit several years later. IZ dealt with obesity all of his life - at one point weighing 757 pounds – and this led to his death of respiratory failure on June 28, 1997. Two years after his death, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" became a hit after it was featured in advertisements as well as major motion pictures and television series. By 2004, the song had been downloaded more than two million times. By 2020, the video had been viewed more than a billion times on social media. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" was inducted into the National Recording Registry as part of the heritage in American recoded sound in 2021. Since IZ’s death, the song has become an international classic and has received numerous honors including platinum album awards in countries like Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.
