Product Code Database
Zachary David Sobiech (May 3, 1995 – May 20, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and musician from Lakeland, Minnesota, who was a member of the band A Firm Handshake. The single "Clouds" gained extensive media attention on YouTube, prior to Sobiech's death from cancer in May 2013. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually becoming a hit also in the UK, Canada and France. His philosophy was that in his last days of life due to his cancer, he needed to make people happy.
In May 2012 his doctors informed him that he had up to a year to live. Sobiech recorded the song "Clouds" about his battle with cancer, and released it as a YouTube video in December 2012. It went viral video, surpassing 3 million views at the time of his death. It currently has more than 22.8 million views as of November 2024.
Artists have released many tributes, including many cover versions of "Clouds"—with a prominent version of "Clouds" released on SoulPancake, featuring director Rainn Wilson himself, along with Bryan Cranston, Ashley Tisdale, Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat, Phillip Phillips, Passenger, The Lumineers and many others. The music video on SoulPancake presented in collaboration with Wayfarer Entertainment was directed by Justin Baldoni, produced by Baldoni and Ahmed Kolacek, with Fouad Elgohari as associate producer and Nick Pezzillo as editor.Full credits include, SoulPancake presents, in collaboration with Wayfarer Entertainment / Director/Producer: Justin Baldoni / Producer: Ahmed Kolacek / Associate Producer: Fouad Elgohari / Editor: Nick Pezzillo / with appearances by Bryan Cranston, Sarah Silverman, Ashley Tisdale, Colbie Caillat, Chris Pratt, Anna Faris, Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Andy Grammer, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Jenna Elfman, Jack McBrayer, Lumineers, Jason Derulo, Kelly Oxford, The Mowglis, Rachel Bilson, Kina Grannis, Passenger, Creed Bratton, Tyler Hilton, Mark Duplass, Josh Gad, Jason Wade, Paul McDonald, Ed Helms, Phillip Phillips, Justin Young, Alyssa Shouse The video has been viewed over 5 million times on the SoulPancake YouTube channel.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
On December 5, 2013, a choir of an estimated 5,000 sang Sobiech's hit song "Clouds" at the Mall of America. The event was organized by the KSTP-FM Kids Radiothon in collaboration with the Children's Cancer Research Fund and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. The 12th annual iteration of the event was held on December 6, 2024.
Zach's mother Laura Sobiech wrote a memoir about his life, Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom's Small Prayer in a Big Way. New book will tell the story of Zach Sobiech, who wrote the song "Clouds"
In early 2016, it was announced that Warner Bros. was developing a film based on Laura Sobiech's book. The film Clouds was released on Disney+ on October 16, 2020.On September 9, 2020, Disney posted a trailer on their official YouTube page, titled "Clouds l Official Trailer | Disney+", with the release date shown at 2:12. (YouTube references are not allowed on Wikipedia.) Production started on October 19, 2019, in Montreal, and was directed by Justin Baldoni. The film stars Fin Argus as Zach and Sabrina Carpenter as Sammy.
Legacy
Sobiech's family established the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund at Children's Cancer Research Fund. In September 2015, the fund reached $2 million.
Discography
Extended plays
+
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:7em;" Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" Album details
! scope="col" colspan="8" Peak chart positions
Singles
"Clouds" 2013 8 Fix Me Up
External links
Categories: 1995 Births, 2013 Deaths, 21st-century American Male Singers, 21st-century American Singer-songwriters, American Folk Rock Musicians, American Internet Celebrities, Catholics From Minnesota, Deaths From Bone Cancer In The United States, Deaths From Cancer In Minnesota, American Indie Folk Musicians, Musicians From Saint Paul, Minnesota, People From Stillwater, Minnesota, People From Washington County, Minnesota, Singer-songwriters From Minnesota
|
|
