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Monday 18 May 2015

The late Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (Also knows as "IZ") 1976–1997 38 years old

When pure talent broke the barrier......... nothing can even stop one of the most unappealing singer in becoming a legend and earn his title as "The Voice of Hawaii" .

Don't let what seems to be a big problem stopping you from your achievements when you know that your passion and talent is much more greater than your problems.

I can imagine how Mr.IZ felt when he went up stage and people are looking at him with all kinds of impressions. IZ's could have left and in his mind could have said, what the hell am I doing here up on stage in front of thousands of people. And no he didn't. His passion is music and when he sang the first few words, audience were stunned and the whole room fell silent on hearing him. And from there, IZ went ahead and never looked back.

The late Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (Also knows as "IZ") 1976–1997 38 years old



Source from Wikipedia:-
Throughout his life, Kamakawiwoʻole was morbidly obese and at one point weighed 757 pounds (343 kg; 54.1 st) standing 6-foot-2-inch. He endured several hospitalizations because of health problems caused by his weight. Beset with respiratory, heart, and other medical problems, he died at the age of 38 in Queen's Medical Center at 12.18am. on June 26, 1997. Kamakawiwoʻole was survived by his wife, Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole, and their daughter, Ceslie-Ann "Wehi".


The Hawaii state flag flew at half-staff on July 10, 1997, the day of Kamakawiwoʻole's funeral. His koa wood coffin lay in state at the state capitol building in Honolulu. He was the third person in Hawaiian history to be awarded this honor, and the only one who was not a government official. Approximately ten thousand people attended the funeral. Thousands of fans gathered as his ashes were scattered into the Pacific Ocean at Mākua Beach on July 12, 1997. Scenes from the funeral and scattering of Kamakawiwoʻole's ashes were featured in official music videos of "Over the Rainbow" released posthumously by Mountain Apple Company; as of January 2015, the two videos as featured on YouTube have collectively received over 180 million views.

On September 20, 2003, hundreds paid tribute to Kamakawiwoʻole as a bronze bust of the revered singer was unveiled at the Waianae Neighborhood Community Center on Oʻahu. The singer's widow, Marlene Kamakawiwoʻole, and sculptor Jan-Michelle Sawyer were present for the dedication ceremony.

RIP Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole.......