Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole[a] (May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Braddah IZ or simply IZ, was a Native Hawaiian musician and singer. He is regarded as one of the greatest musicians from Hawaii and the most successful musician from the state.[2][3] Along with his ukulele playing and incorporation of other genres, such as jazz and reggae, Kamakawiwoʻole remains influential on Hawaiian music.[4] In 2010, he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR, who called him "The Voice of Hawaii".[5]
Kamakawiwoʻole achieved commercial success and mainstream popularity with his 1993 studio album, Facing Future. His medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" from his album Ka ʻAnoʻi (1990), spent 371 weeks on top of the World Digital Songs chart, making it the longest-leading number-one hit on any of the Billboard song charts.
