Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (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. 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".
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 375 weeks on top of the World Digital Songs chart, making it the longest-leading number-one hit on any of the Billboard song charts.
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