'American Idol': Who is Iam Tongi? Kahuku native's tribute to late father leaves judges teary-eyed
KAHUKU, HAWAII: After churning out Noah Thomspon as the winner of 'American Idol' Season 20, ABC is ready to bring back another season to the screen. In Season 21 the viewers will witness another set of soulful voices who will make the judges go awestruck. This season, the production has brought in talents from all over the world, including Las Vegas, Nevada; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Nashville, Tennessee.
The panel of judges includes three all-stars, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Moreover, Emmy winner Ryan Seacrest is set to return as the host of the upcoming season. Among all the other singers being featured on the show, William Guy Tongi, aka Iam Tongi, is going to bring his instant identity to the table. Read on to know all about Iam and his emotionally charged performance that tugged at everybody's heartstrings.
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Who is Iam Tongi?
Iam is 18-year-old singer and songwriter from Kahuku, Hawaii. He currently studies at Decatur High School. Iam has a sweet little family of five people, including himself. Iam has two sisters, Cassandra Alvina Tongi and Leilei Tongi, and a brother named Lerod Tongi. Iam's father passed away in December 2021, and that was the most heartbreaking moment of his life. His father was the one who introduced him to music. Therefore, losing him left Iam emotionally scarred.
Iam is pretty popular on TikTok. He has a whopping 77.1K followers. Iam is often seen posting songs on his social media account and is well-versed in playing guitar and ukulele.
Iam Tongi on 'American Idol' Season 21
'American Idol' dropped a clip on their social media of Iam's audition, saying, "Who's cutting onions," hinting that the Kahuku native will make everyone cry in the premiere night episode. Richie says in the clip, "Every once in a while, people will come along, they bring their instant identity to the table. The same is the case with Iam." Richie adds, "This kid brings his heart on his sleeve." Iam will be seen making everyone go emotional when he opens up about his father's death to the judges. When asked by Richie, "Who got you into music?" Iam replied that his father got him into music. Iam then says, "My dad passed away a couple of months ago."
Seeing Iam get emotional while talking about his father, the judges claimed, "I can tell he meant a lot to you." Iam will be seen making everyone cry their hearts out by singing a rendition of 'Monsters' by James Blunt. In the sneak peek clip, we saw his song being interrupted in between as his throat gets filled with emotions. He asks for an apology and stops in between. It is to be further seen whether he will get another chance to complete the song or not.
American Idol' Season 21 premieres on February 19, 2023, at 8 pm ET, only on ABC.
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