Who was Zach Sobiech? Years after his death, Disney+ movie ‘Clouds’ leads to hit song
Seven years after his death from a rare form of cancer, Zach Sobiech is a star again.
Sobiech, who died in 2013, topped the iTunes song chart this week following the release of “Clouds” — a Disney+ movie about his life.
Zach was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when he was 14, according to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. Osteosarcoma starts in the bones and usually occurs in children and young adults, according to the American Cancer Society.
The Minnesota native was told three years later the cancer had spread and he had only six months to a year to live, the fund said.
He turned to music during his battle with cancer, writing and recording the song “Clouds.” Billboard said the song was the “musical gift left behind for Sobiech’s friends and family, though it leaves no one uncertain of the youngster’s dire predicament.”
“I want everyone to know you don’t have to find out you’re dying to start living,” Sobiech said in 2013, according to WCCO.
Sobiech died in May 2013, about eight months after he recorded “Clouds.” The song had millions of views on YouTube when he died and peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart a month after his passing.
A fund in Sobiech’s name was established with the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, and it has raised more than $2.2 million as of Wednesday.
The Disney+ movie “Clouds” — an adaptation of a memoir written by Zach’s mother, Laura Sobiech — debuted last week and has received a mostly positive reaction, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Starring Fin Argus portraying Zach, the movie follows the teenager as he “discovers his cancer has spread, leaving him just a few months to live. With limited time, he follows his dream and makes an album, unaware that it will soon be a viral music phenomenon,” IMDB reported.
Argus told the Star-Tribune he used Sobiech’s crutches as emotional support throughout filming of the movie.
“If I was confused on what to do, I’d squeeze them to ask Zach to guide me,” said Argus. “I’d say to him, ‘I’m just a vessel. I’m here to portray you the way you hopefully would want.’”
The success of the movie has led to Sobiech’s hit song reaching the masses posthumously. “Clouds” — the song — reached No. 1 on the iTunes chart on Sunday. Billboard said the song had more than 6,000 downloads on iTunes from Oct. 16-19, coinciding with the release of the movie.
His song on YouTube now has more than 15 million views since it was released December 2012.
Disney+ will host the “Clouds: A Musical Celebration” virtual concert Saturday on Facebook to honor Sobiech. It will feature Argus and “Clouds” co-star Sabrina Carpenter, along with OneRepublic and Jason Mraz.
This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Who was Zach Sobiech? Years after his death, Disney+ movie ‘Clouds’ leads to hit song."