In life, singer-songwriter Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was a poet of Hawaiian consciousness. His was a high, sweet voice that moved his fans in tender ways.
But in death, the 800-pound "Bruddah Iz" became an agonizing example of the kind of health problems that had afflicted so many Hawaiians in the 20th century.
Born in 1959, Kamakawiwo'ole grew up on Ni'ihau and in Palolo, Kaimuki and Makaha. He was a member of the popular Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau for 17 years, endearing himself to many along O'ahu's Leeward Coast by playing at countless baby lu'au, weddings, anniversaries and beachside jam sessions.
He left the group in 1993 during a difficult time in his life. Kamakawiwo'ole had worked on 11 albums but lived on welfare. And his weight was out of control, somewhere around 500 pounds. He could not walk more than 50 feet, carried his own chair to rest on, relied on his wife to bathe him and rarely left his home.
But even as he lost and gained hundreds of pounds, Kamakawiwo'ole's new solo career blossomed as never before. He formed a creative partnership with record producer Jon de Mello of Mountain Apple Co. and his albums "Facing Future" in 1993, "E Ala E" in 1995 and "In Dis Life" in 1996 brought Kamakawiwo'ole a six-figure income and widespread popularity.
His health problems persisted, though, and in 1995, he began using an oxygen tank to help him breathe during concerts. His labored breathing serve as background to the 'ukulele chords on "Facing Future."
Kamakawiwo'ole died in June 1997 of complications brought on by morbid obesity. He was 38.
But in "Facing Future," which in October 2005 became the first Hawaiian music album to sell more than a million units in the United States, the singer lives on.
His warm voice and simply strummed 'ukulele are featured on the album's most recognized song, "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World." Movie and television directors have used it as an anthem of heartbreak.
