Keenan Cahill, a well-known YouTuber who created lip-sync videos with stars like 50 Cent, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and others, passed away on December 29 following open-heart surgery on December 15. He was 27.

The celebrity revealed on his social media earlier this month that he would undergo open heart surgery on December 15. 

He was recovering following the operation when he experienced problems and passed away on Thursday, according to his family’s statement on a GoFundMe page created in the event of his death.

On Friday, his official Facebook account wrote: “Keenan is an inspiration. Let’s celebrate by remembering all the content he created, artists he collaborated with, music he produced, and the love he had for everyone who supported him over the years.” 

It also said that his family had established a GoFundMe account to assist with funeral expenses.

Cahill had Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome, which can result in physical disabilities akin to dwarfism and heart trouble. He was diagnosed at age 1, underwent a bone marrow transplant in 1997, and underwent a number of more operations over the years to help cure the genetic illness.

Cahill, who is listed as one of the first YouTube celebrities, originally became well-known in 2010 when he began posting videos of himself lip-syncing popular songs.

Cahill has around 721,000 subscribers on YouTube, and his videos have received more than 500 million views. 

He uploaded his debut lip-sync video to Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” in August 2010, and it has received 58 million views. 

The pop artist and Cahill finally got together and shot a video together a year later.

With 50 Cent, Cahill made the most well-liked video, lip-syncing “Down on Me” to the tune of 60 million total views. 

Additionally, he worked with musicians including Andy Grammer, Jason Derulo, David Guetta, LMFAO, Lil Jon, Sean Kingston, and Pauly D.

Long before social media platforms like Instagram, Vine, or TikTok made viral videos a standard feature of the platform, his videos were some of the first, most popular blockbusters from YouTube’s early years. In the 2010s, he also put out two EPs and four singles on iTunes.

Tributes

Celebrities and fans shared their memories of the celebrity on social media.

Pauly D, a former Jersey Shore cast member who previously collaborated with Cahill, sent a Twitter homage to Cahill.

Along with a picture of the two on stage together, he wrote, “Rip Keenan Thank You for Always Making the World Smile.”
“He never made a lot of money, but he enjoyed what he was doing and brought smiles to so many people,” according to this family.