18-year-old picks song to sing that’s so well-suited to him it makes judges cry
We have seen a lot of stories shared on American Idol, but this one will surely bring you to tears.
Meet Iam Tongi.
Tongi is an aspirant singer from Kahuku, Hawaii.
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They recently moved off of the island and live in Seattle, because they could no longer afford the living expenses there.
Despite moving to a different state, Iam still wishes to return to where he grew up.
His inspiration is his dad.
When the judges ask about his dad, Iam shared that he just recently passed away.
He cannot contain his tears, remembering how his dad taught him to sing.
Even the judges felt how much Rodney Tongi meant to his son.
He left memories to him that are so cherished that everyone in the room became emotional.
This would be a song from the heart.
“I can tell he meant a lot to you,” Richie said while Tongi wiped the tears from his face. “When you love so deeply, you feel so deeply. So what you’ve just given us right now is the fact that you love that man so much, we’re there with you.”
If his story didn’t make you cry, wait till you hear him sing.
The Hawaiian native performed an emotional cover of Monsters by James Blunt, which he dedicated to his dad.
It was a song originally released in 2019 which was a tribute to Blunt’s father, who died due to cancer.
The lyrics were so powerful, and Tongi’s voice brought them to life along with his feelings. No wonder the judges could not hide their tears.
Get your tissues ready for his tearjerker ending.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s my turn to chase the monsters away,” Tongi sang at the end of the song, which got him choked up as he tried to hold back his tears.
The judges gave him a standing ovation for his moving performance, which showed his pure emotions.
“Your dad is very proud,” Lionel commented on Iam’s compelling performance.
“You hit a nerve,” Katy added. “And that’s what great storytellers do. That’s what great artists do. And your voice is just so magnificent.”
Iam’s performance touched Luke beyond measure.
Luke could not stop himself from being emotional while watching Tongi, which brought back memories of his nephew’s dad.
“My nephew lost his dad, and he came and lived with me, and just seeing you missing your dad just sucks. You got a great voice, you did everything perfect and I love you, and I just want to see you have fun in this whole thing. It’s awesome what you just did.” Bryan shares through tears of understanding.
He deserved a golden ticket.
The three judges all voted a ‘yes’ for Iam. “You’re going to Hollywood!” they said in chorus.
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“This was for Rodney,”
That’s what Iam said as he dedicated his winning moment.
“He always wanted me to come to American Idol and sing, “Tongi shares. “So I’m going to try and make him proud of me.”
Iam shares that he always feels his dad’s presence and remembers him whenever he sings, so he can’t help but cry.
“Through my music, he’ll always be with me. I love you, Dad,” Iam said.
See how Iam made the judges cry during his live performance in the video below!
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