Zach Sobiech
Zach Sobiech | |
---|---|
Zach Sobiech | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Zachary David Sobiech |
Born | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
May 3, 1995
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Lakeland, Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
Genres | Folk rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano |
Years active | 2012–2013 |
Associated acts | A Firm Handshake |
- This article includes, in addition to Zach Sobiech, coverage of the activities of the band A Firm Handshake
Zachary David "Zach" Sobiech (May 3, 1995 – May 20, 2013) was an American folk rock singer-songwriter from Stillwater, 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.[2][3] It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually becoming a hit also in UK, Canada and France.
Contents
Life and career
At age 14, Sobiech was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer which mostly strikes children.[4] CBS reported that during his treatment he underwent 10 surgeries and 20 rounds of chemotherapy.[5] He started writing music after his diagnosis.[6]
In May 2012 his doctors informed him that he had up to a year to live.[7] Sobiech recorded the song "Clouds" about his battle with cancer,[8] and released it as a YouTube video in December 2012. It went viral, surpassing 3 million views at the time of his death. It currently has more than 10 million views and counting.[9]
A Firm Handshake
A Firm Handshake | |
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Years active | 2012-2013 |
Labels | Rock the Cause |
Members | Sammy Brown Reed Redmond |
Past members | Zach Sobiech (2012 until his death in May 2013) |
Prior to his death, Zach Sobiech formed the band A Firm Handshake with friends Samantha "Sammy" Brown and Reed Redmond.[2] A Firm Handshake's first album, Fix Me Up, was released digitally in early 2013,[10] charting in USA, UK and Canada. The debut single by A Firm Handshake is "How to Go to Confession" featuring Sammy Brown.
Death
Sobiech died on May 20, 2013 of complications from osteosarcoma, at his home in Lakeland, an eastern suburb of Saint Paul, Minnesota, at age 18.[9][11] His funeral was held at the Catholic Church of St. Michael and he was later buried in St. Michael's Cemetery.[12]
Tributes
Rainn Wilson's YouTube channel SoulPancake released a documentary about Sobiech, directed by director-actor Justin Baldoni, a part of its online reality series, My Last Days.[6][13] The 22-minute episode of My Last Days: Meet Zach Sobiech has been watched more than 14 million times on the main SoulPancake YouTube channel.[14] A further episode entitled My Last Days: Zach Sobiech, One Year Later was created to follow up with Zach's family and friends after his death.[15]
Artists have released many tributes, including many cover versions of "Clouds" — with a prominent version of "Clouds" released on SoulPancake,[16] featuring director Rainn Wilson himself, along with Bryan Cranston, Ashley Tisdale, Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles,[3] 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.[17] The video has been viewed over 4.7 million times on the SoulPancake YouTube channel.[18]
On December 5, 2013 a choir of 5,000 sang Sobiech's hit song "Clouds" at the Mall of America. The event was organized by the KS95 Kids Radiothon in collaboration with the Children's Cancer Research Fund and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.[19]
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.[20] In early 2016, it was announced that Warner Bros. will be making a film based on Laura Sobiech's book. Justin Baldoni is set to direct and it will be called 'Clouds' after Zach's own song.[21]
Legacy
Sobiech's family established The Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund at Children's Cancer Research Fund. In September 2015, Zach's fund reached $1 million and continues to grow.[22]
Zach Sobiech discography
Single
Single | Year | Peak positions | Album | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [23] |
US Rock [23] |
BEL (Wa) [24] |
CAN [23] |
FR [25] |
SWI |
UK [26] |
UK Indie [27] |
|||
"Clouds" | 2013 | 26 | 3 | 29 | 14 | 26 | 73 | 50 | 8 | From the A Firm Handshake album Fix Me Up |
A Firm Handshake discography
Extended plays
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [28] |
US Dig. [28] |
US Heat. [28] |
US Indie [28] |
US Rock [28] |
CAN [28] |
UK [26] |
UK Indie [29] |
||
Fix Me Up |
|
20 | 9 | 27 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 121 | 24 |
Singles
Single | Year | Peak positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | UK | |||
"How to Go to Confession" (featuring Sammy Brown) |
2013 | — | — | TBA |
References
- ↑ http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2013/may/christian-teen-who-inspired-with-clouds-dies-of-cancer.html
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- ↑ http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_23284467/zach-sobiechs-funeral-arrangements-set
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ SoulPancake My Last Days series - Episode on Zach Sobiech on YouTube
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iTImZGOtc4
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 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 Brian 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
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxXAtmmLLc
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ New book will tell the story of Zach Sobiech, who wrote the song "Clouds"
- ↑ http://variety.com/2016/film/news/warner-bros-fly-a-little-higher-movie-1201694182/
- ↑ http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/09/15/zach-sobiechs-research-fund-reaches-1-million-in-donations/
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Still Atop Hot 100, Zach Sobiech Debuts
- ↑ Ultratop.be/fr/ Zach Sobiech discography
- ↑ Lescharts.com Zach Sobiech discography
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with hCards
- Pages using Template:Infobox musical artist with unknown parameters
- 1995 births
- 2013 deaths
- People from Saint Paul, Minnesota
- People from Stillwater, Minnesota
- American pop singers
- Internet memes
- American Roman Catholics
- Musicians from Minnesota
- Deaths from bone cancer
- American singer-songwriters
- Cancer deaths in Minnesota