Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole is the only daughter of Hawaiian music legend Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole. Her family calls her Wehi. She was born around 1983 and was about 14 when her father died in 1997. 

People usually search her name for one of three reasons: her famous father, a 2016 local news segment, or the question of whether she is still alive. No credible record says she has died. This guide lays out what is known about her life and says plainly what is not public.

Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole Bio/Wiki

Detail	Information
Full name	Ceslieanne Wehekealake’alekupuna Ah Lo Kamakawiwo’ole
Nickname	Wehi
Birth year	Around 1983
Age in 2026	About 43
Birthplace	Hawaii, United States
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Native Hawaiian
Father	Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole (1959 to 1997)
Mother	Marlene Kamakawiwo’ole
Siblings	None known; she is the only child
Known for	Being the daughter of IZ; a 2016 Hawaii’s Most Wanted news segment
Occupation	Not publicly known
Marital status	Not publicly known
Children	Not publicly confirmed
Net worth	Not publicly known

Who Is Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole?

Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole is the only child of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and his wife, Marlene. Her father became the most successful musician Hawaii has produced. She did not follow him into music or public life.

Most of what the public knows about her comes from two moments. The first is her father’s death in 1997, when she was a young teenager. The second is a 2016 local news segment tied to a stolen car and a probation violation. Outside those two events, her life has stayed private.

That privacy explains why so much online writing about her is thin, repetitive, or simply wrong. Sorting fact from filler is the main job of this article.

Is Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole Still Alive?

There is no credible record of her death, and she is understood to be living. No obituary, family announcement, or news story says otherwise.

The confusion has a clear cause. Her father, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, died on June 26, 1997, at age 38. Searches for “Ceslie-Ann passing” or “Ceslie-Ann death” often come from people mixing up the two of them. Some low-quality pages online make it worse by swapping their names, which makes it look like she died in 1997.

She did not. Her father did. If you see a page that gives her a 1957 or 1959 birth date, it is describing IZ, not her.

Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole’s Parents and Family Background

Her father was born Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole on May 20, 1959, in Honolulu. He grew up in Kaimuki and later in Mākaha on Oʻahu’s Waiʻanae coast. He started playing music at 11 with his older brother, Henry, known as Skippy.

In the 1970s the brothers helped form the Makaha Sons of Niʻihau. The group became one of the most popular traditional Hawaiian acts of its time. Skippy died of a heart attack in 1982 at age 28.

Later that same year, Israel married his childhood sweetheart, Marlene. Ceslie-Ann was born about a year after the wedding. Her paternal grandparents were Henry “Hank” Kamakawiwo’ole Jr. and Evangeline “Angie” Kamakawiwo’ole, who both worked at a Waikiki nightclub.

Her mother, Marlene, stayed close to the family’s public memory of IZ. She was present when a bronze bust of him was unveiled at the Waiʻanae Neighborhood Community Center on September 20, 2003.

Growing Up as Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole, IZ’s Only Daughter

She grew up while her father’s career climbed. The Makaha Sons had breakout albums in 1984 and 1986. Israel went solo in 1990 with Ka ʻAnoʻi, which won major Hawaii music awards. In 1993 he released Facing Future, the album that carried his name far beyond the islands.

By then Ceslie-Ann was about 10. Her father was touring, recording, and speaking out for Hawaiian rights. He was also dealing with serious health problems tied to his weight, and he was hospitalized several times.

How the family handled that mix of fame and illness day to day is not publicly documented. No interviews with her about her childhood have been published, so any detailed account of her home life online is guesswork.

What is clear is that she grew up in a family tied closely to Hawaiian music, Hawaiian culture, and the Waiʻanae coast. That background shaped how people see her, even though she never asked for that attention.

The Loss of Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole’s Father in 1997

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole died at 12:18 a.m. on June 26, 1997, at Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. The cause was respiratory failure, linked to long-term breathing and heart problems. He was 38. Ceslie-Ann was about 14.

The public response was enormous. On July 10, 1997, the Hawaiian flag flew at half-staff. His koa wood casket lay at the state capitol, an honor given to only two other people before him, and he was the only one who did not hold government office. About 10,000 people attended his funeral.

A few days later, thousands gathered at Mākua Beach as his ashes were scattered in the Pacific. Drivers across Oʻahu honked their horns along the highways that day.

For a teenager, losing a parent is hard enough. Losing one in front of an entire state is something few people experience. How she and her mother coped has never been shared publicly, and that is their business.

Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s Legacy and What It Means for His Daughter

IZ’s legacy keeps growing, and it keeps sending people to search for his family. A few facts show the scale:

• His medley “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” spent 375 weeks at the top of Billboard’s World Digital Songs chart.
• Facing Future became the first Hawaii album certified platinum, in 2005.
• NPR called him “The Voice of Hawaii” in 2010.
• He entered the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2017.
• Google marked his birthday with a Doodle in 2020.
• His recording of the medley joined the National Recording Registry in 2021.

His songs still appear in films, commercials, and television shows around the world. Each new use sends a fresh wave of curious viewers looking for his story.

Those searches often land on his daughter. She holds no public role in that legacy, has released no music, and has not built a media presence around her father’s name.

Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole and the 2016 Hawaii’s Most Wanted Segment

In 2016, a Honolulu television station ran a segment called Hawaii’s Most Wanted that featured Ceslie-Ann. It was the first time many people in Hawaii connected her name to a news story of her own.

The segment centered on a Mercedes SUV that was reported stolen from Ala Wai Boulevard in Honolulu in February 2015. Police tracked a matching vehicle to a street in Waipahu and watched it. A woman got in and drove away, and she was arrested.

The segment also tied her name to a warrant of about $20,000 after a probation violation under Hawaii’s HOPE program. That is why her photo appeared on a most wanted list.

The final court outcome is not publicly documented. Online articles that give a verdict, a sentence, or a release date are filling in gaps with guesses. This was one legal matter, now about a decade old, and it does not define a person’s whole life.

How Hawaii’s HOPE Probation Worked in Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole’s Case

HOPE stands for Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement. Judge Steven Alm launched it in Honolulu in 2004 to change how probation works for people with drug-related or repeat offenses.

The idea is simple. Probationers get clear rules and a warning that any violation brings an immediate, short consequence. The program is built on three features:

• Random drug testing on a call-in basis
• A warning hearing that spells out the rules and the penalties
• A brief jail stay right after a violation, instead of a long wait for a hearing

Missing check-ins or testing counts as a violation. If a probationer stops showing up, a judge can issue a bench warrant. That is the kind of warrant that led to the most wanted segment.

The program has drawn national attention for its results, but individual cases vary. Nothing public explains how her own time in the program ended.

Where Is Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole Today?

Her current job, home, and relationship status are not public. She has no verified social media profile, no public interviews, and no known business tied to her name. In 2026 she is about 43 years old.

She appears to have chosen a private life. Given what she saw as a teenager, that choice makes sense. Her father’s fame brought crowds, cameras, and constant attention to her family.

Several things you may read about her are not established:

• A recording or performing career. There are no known albums under her name.
• A specific college degree or school history.
• An exact number of children or any adoption arrangement.
• A rehab completion date or a current job in music education.
• A role in producing her father’s posthumous albums.

If a page states these as fact without naming a verifiable record, treat it as unconfirmed.

Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole’s Net Worth

Her net worth is not publicly known. No financial records, business filings, or credible estimates exist for her.

You may see a figure attached to her name that really belongs to her father’s estate. Even those details are private. Royalties, estate arrangements, and who receives what have never been laid out in public.

Treat any exact dollar amount as a guess.

How to Check Facts About Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole Online

Because so little is public, her name attracts a lot of rewritten, recycled content. A few simple checks help.

First, compare dates. IZ was born May 20, 1959, and died June 26, 1997. Any page that gives her those dates, or calls her the singer of “Over the Rainbow,” has the people confused.

Second, look for specifics. Real reporting names places, dates, and agencies. Filler uses words like “rumored,” “allegedly,” and “fans say” without ever naming a fact.

Third, watch for emotional claims. Anything describing her thoughts, regrets, or recovery in detail is invented, because she has not spoken publicly about them.

Finally, remember she is a private person. A single news segment from 2016 does not give anyone the right to a full account of her life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole?

She is the only daughter of Hawaiian musician Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole and his wife, Marlene.

Is Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole still alive?

No credible record reports her death, and she is understood to be living.

How old is Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole?

She was born around 1983, which makes her about 43 in 2026.

Why was Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole on Hawaii’s Most Wanted?

A 2016 news segment tied her to a stolen Mercedes SUV case and a HOPE probation violation warrant.

Does Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole have children?

Her family details are private, and no number of children has been confirmed.

Final Thoughts 

Ceslie-Ann Kamakawiwo’ole is best understood as the daughter of a global music icon who lived most of her life away from the spotlight. The verified facts are few: she was born around 1983, she lost her father at 14, and she appeared in a 2016 local news segment tied to a stolen car and a probation warrant. 

Everything else, from her job to her family size to her finances, is either private or unconfirmed. If you want to honor her story, stick to what is documented, avoid the filler that circulates online, and let her father’s music do the talking.