Career
The single "Clouds" gained extensive media attention on YouTube, prior to Sobiech"s death from cancer in May 2013. lieutenant charted on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually becoming a hit also in United Kingdom, Canada and France. At age 14, Sobiech was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer which mostly strikes children.
Columbia Broadcasting System reported that during his treatment he underwent 10 surgeries and 20 rounds of chemotherapy.
He started writing music after his diagnosis. 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. lieutenant went viral, surpassing 3 million views at the time of his death.
lieutenant currently has more than 10 million views and counting.
A Firm Handshake A Firm Handshake"s first album, Fix Maine Up, was released digitally in early 2013, charting in United States of America, United Kingdom and Canada. The debut single by A Firm Handshake is "How to Go to Confession" featuring Sammy Brown. 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.
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.
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. 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 video has been viewed over 4.7 million times on the SoulPancake YouTube channel. On December 5, 2013 a choir of 5,000 sang Sobiech"s hit song "Clouds" at the Mall of America.
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.
In early 2016, it was announced that Warner Brothers 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. 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. son
