Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Hawaiian singer (1959–1997)

Audience1.9M
Fame78.3
Momentum0.7

Source-basedStable

1.9M youtube followers

Audience1.9M
Fame78.3
Momentum0.7
Wikipedia135.2K

Lived 1959–1997, aged 38United States

United States MusiciansSinger / Musician

Biggest on YouTube
1.9M
@@mountainapplecompany
Wikipedia
55 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1959–1997
Aged 38
Awards
1
recognised work

Summary

Updated 2026-06-15

His ukulele medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" spent 375 weeks at number one on the World Digital Songs chart — the longest-leading number-one hit on any Billboard song chart.

Biography

About

Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole was born May 20, 1959, a Native Hawaiian who'd grow into what NPR later called "The Voice of Hawaii." He wove jazz and reggae into the island tradition, his ukulele work reshaping what Hawaiian music could sound like. The 1990 album Ka ʻAnoʻi carried the medley that would outlast nearly everything else on the charts, but it was 1993's Facing Future that brought him commercial success and mainstream reach. He died June 26, 1997, regarded as one of the greatest musicians Hawaii has produced and the most successful the state has ever seen. In 2010, NPR named him one…

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