Viral YouTube Star from Illinois Dies at 27

He captivated millions of viewers with his energetic lip-syncing renditions of popular hit songs. He went on to collaborate with the likes of 50 Cent, Flo Rida, and Katy Perry just to name a few people. His popularity continued to ascend, even into the 2020s. Now, he's dead at 27.

Keenan Cahill unexpectedly past away on December 29th due to complications with open-heart surgery. He was placed on life support on December 15th before finally succumbing to the surgery over two weeks later. Again, he was only 27-years-old.

Cahill was an Elmhurst, IL native, and diagnosed with Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome when he was only one-year-old. The condition resulted in him having the appearance of someone with dwarfism. He underwent multiple surgeries as a child to live as close to a comfortable existence as he could. He clearly didn't let his condition deter his personality.

One of the original YouTubers who helped propel the platform to new heights, Cahill's videos, which featured him lip-syncing popular hit songs such as Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and Taio Cruz's "Dynamite," wracked up millions upon millions of hits.

The proof for how much Cahill resonated with viewers is in the pudding. The spunky video-maker has accrued more than 450 million hits, and he has dozens of singles on Apple Music. His most recent, "Rain," featuring Jillian Jensen, was released on December 9th, weeks before his death.

One of Cahill's last tweets was on December 12th, where he informed fans the date of the surgery from which he would sadly never recover. A GoFundMe page set up by his aunt to cover funeral expenses has since raised over $18,000.

Keenan Cahill undoubtedly experienced a lot of bullying as a child, but that never deterred his positive demeanor nor his personality from shining through in his videos and music. He will be deeply missed by a legion of fans.