MUSICIAN

Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

1959 - 1997

Photo of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

Icon of person Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

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 achieved commercial success and popularity outside of Hawaii with his 1993 studio album, Facing Future. His medley of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" was released on his albums Ka ʻAnoʻi and Facing Future, and was subsequently featured in various media. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Israel Kamakawiwoʻole has received more than 13,777,200 page views. His biography is available in 54 different languages on Wikipedia. Israel Kamakawiwoʻole is the 63rd most popular musician (up from 67th in 2019), the 364th most popular biography from United States (up from 423rd in 2019) and the 17th 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."

Memorability Metrics

  • 14M

    Page Views (PV)

  • 73.13

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 54

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 11.93

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 2.34

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 63 out of 3,175. Before him are Brian Jones, Benny Andersson, Baroness Mary Vetsera, Cliff Burton, Duke Ellington, and John Deacon. After him are Björn Ulvaeus, Charlie Watts, Ritchie Blackmore, Django Reinhardt, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Dean Martin.

Most Popular Musicians in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1959, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 4. Before him are Carlo Ancelotti, Jon Fosse, and Jens Stoltenberg. After him are Luc Besson, Morrissey, Kevin Spacey, Klaus Iohannis, Emma Thompson, Val Kilmer, Evo Morales, and Alberto Fernández. Among people deceased in 1997, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 12. Before him are Viktor Frankl, Jeanne Calment, Mobutu Sese Seko, Toshiro Mifune, Victor Vasarely, and Gianni Versace. After him are Paulo Freire, Melvin Calvin, The Notorious B.I.G., Roy Lichtenstein, Bohumil Hrabal, and Chaim Herzog.

Others Born in 1959

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Others Deceased in 1997

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 364 out of 20,380. Before him are Ella Fitzgerald (1917), Willem Dafoe (1955), Christopher Lloyd (1938), Anna Nicole Smith (1967), Mike Tyson (1966), and Romina Power (1951). After him are Jennifer Lopez (1969), Joseph Stiglitz (1943), Jerry Lewis (1926), Jefferson Davis (1808), Harry Nilsson (1941), and Harvey Keitel (1939).

Others born in United States

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Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Israel Kamakawiwoʻole ranks 17. Before him are Ronnie James Dio (1942), Miles Davis (1926), B.B. King (1925), Bruce Springsteen (1949), Cliff Burton (1962), and Duke Ellington (1899). After him are Dean Martin (1917), Yehudi Menuhin (1916), Robert Johnson (1911), Iggy Pop (1947), Steven Van Zandt (1950), and Lou Reed (1942).

American born Musicians

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