MUSICIAN

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

1959 - 1997

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Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Braddah IZ or just simply IZ, was a Native Hawaiian musician and singer. He is regarded as one of the greatest musicians from Hawaii and is considered 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. In 2010, he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR, who called him "The Voice of Hawaii". Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Israel Kamakawiwoʻole is the 93rd most popular musician (down from 63rd in 2019), the 655th most popular biography from United States (down from 364th in 2019) and the 25th most popular American Musician.

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole is most famous for his album "Facing Future" and his medley of "What a Wonderful World" and "Over the Rainbow."

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Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 93 out of 3,175Before him are Glenn Gould, Jamiroquai, Jon Lord, David Oistrakh, Giorgio Moroder, and Nadia Boulanger. After him are Dave Grohl, Cosima Wagner, Sia, Avicii, Alice Cooper, and Henryk Wieniawski.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1959, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 5Before him are Carlo Ancelotti, Val Kilmer, Sade, and Morrissey. After him are Luc Besson, Jens Stoltenberg, Kevin Spacey, Tupou VI, Emma Thompson, Klaus Iohannis, and Mike Pence. Among people deceased in 1997, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 23Before him are Sviatoslav Richter, Paulo Freire, Melvin Calvin, The Notorious B.I.G., Robert Mitchum, and Hugo Gunckel Lüer. After him are William S. Burroughs, Clyde Tombaugh, Isaiah Berlin, Hans Eysenck, Bohumil Hrabal, and Roy Lichtenstein.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 655 out of 20,380Before him are Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804), David Carradine (1936), Gordon Allport (1897), Dian Fossey (1932), Lucy Webb Hayes (1831), and William Lipscomb (1919). After him are William S. Burroughs (1914), Paul Berg (1926), Christian B. Anfinsen (1916), Dave Grohl (1969), Arthur Leonard Schawlow (1921), and Chuck Jones (1912).

Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 25Before him are Chuck Berry (1926), Cliff Burton (1962), Miles Davis (1926), Dean Martin (1917), Charlie Parker (1920), and Yehudi Menuhin (1916). After him are Dave Grohl (1969), Alice Cooper (1948), Lou Reed (1942), Ice-T (1958), Keith Jarrett (1945), and Sixto Rodriguez (1942).