Losing a young person too soon is heartbreaking, and the news of Keenan Cahill’s death is no exception.
The popular YouTube celebrity rose to social media fame in 2010 because of his funny lip-syncing videos.
Unfortunately, he died on December 29, 2022.
I’m not younger who spends their days on YouTube, but I remember the first time I saw Keenan Cahill there.
Because of his charisma and contagious joy, you couldn’t help but smile when you saw the adorable child performing the day’s top tunes.
Keenan’s first lipsynced YouTube video, which showed him performing Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” was released in 2010. Soon after, his videos went viral, garnering him international fame.
But one video, in particular, stood out and propelled the much-loved Keenan to internet stardom.
In November 2010, Keenan released a video with 50 Cent. The duo’s cover of the rapper’s song “Down on Me,” which they performed alongside Jeremih, became an instant hit. Keenan had guest performers lined up to appear on his channel at the height of his fame. 60 million people viewed it.
He sang songs and made lip-sync videos with some of the biggest names in the entertainment world, including Jennifer Aniston, Flo Rida, Maroon 5, Cody Simpson, Jason Derulo, and Justin Bieber.
Keenan was the first YouTube user to have 500 million views on his channel. He was nominated for the J-14 Awards’ Viral Web Star award, and his life was also documented in a one-hour documentary that was broadcast in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
The humorous YouTuber also released his music on iTunes, producing 18 songs and two EPs.
“I wanted to put a song out there to show people that I’m capable of being more than just a lip-sync on YouTube,” Cahill explained after introducing his debut single “Hands Up.”
“I figured, if I can sing, why not write my music and accomplish something I’ve always wanted to do?”
Keenan Cahill, born in Elmhurst, Illinois, in 1995, was diagnosed with Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome as a newborn.
People with MPS normally have no symptoms at birth, but the rare genetic ailment causes many tissues and organs to grow and scar over time. Keenan had a bone marrow transplant in 1997 to reduce the disease’s progression, but he was forced to live with it for the rest of his life.
Keenan said in 2011 that he had weekly infusions and a treatment known as “enzyme replacement therapy.” The Illinois native had multiple procedures over the years, including one to relieve cerebral pressure.
Cahill underwent open heart surgery on December 15 at a hospital in the Chicago area, but there were complications.
His management alleges that physicians could not save his life despite placing him on life support. He was 27.
Even though it had been a few years since his big break, Keenan maintained a considerable social media following.
He shared details about his most recent venture, on which he cooperated with the artist Jillian Jensen, alias “Rain,” a few weeks ago. In one of his final Instagram updates in December, he provided a health update to his followers.
“We have one week until open heart surgery. Best wishes. “I love you all,” he wrote.
