Iam Tongi
Iam Tongi made history in May 2023 when he became the youngest winner of television’s "American Idol." His “American Idol” audition was the most viewed of the season — by a landslide. By June 1, it reached 19 million views on YouTube. For his audition, 18-year-old Tongi, a high school senior who is from Hawaii, performed “Monsters” by James Blunt and dedicated the performance to his father, Rodney, who died a couple of months before the audition. He said his father was the reason he got into music and he still hears his father harmonizing with him.
Tongi moved with his family to Seattle, Washington, when the family was “priced out of paradise.”
Tongi told the Church News that some of his peers “talked bad” about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he used to prefer to stay in the background. But now he wants other Latter-day Saint youth “to know that they can be proud of who they are.”[1]
“I’m trying to make it up now,” he said, “... and just tell people about the gospel when I can.”
He shared that testimony with fellow “American Idol” contestants throughout his time on the show — even when some of those contestants were unkind about Tongi’s Church membership. In those situations, Tongi said he tried to remain patient and calm while explaining his beliefs. But with other contestants, he found common ground, such as a shared love for Jesus Christ.
“When we had time, we’d just sit there and talk about our religions,” Tongi recalled. [2]
- Rodney Tongi had a big influence on his son’s music, but perhaps less well-known is the spiritual influence the father had on Iam Tongi.
- Rodney Tongi was a temple ordinance worker in Hawaii before the family moved to Seattle, Iam Tongi said, and attended the temple almost every Saturday.
- Despite the many hours he spent working to pay rent, “My dad was a temple man,” Iam Tongi said.
With season 21 of American Idol concluded, Tongi graduated from high school and is fulfilling his American Idol obligations before serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ. He then hopes to record an album, play shows, and share Polynesian music with the world.
“I just want to put a good message out there [and] put out good vibes,” Tongi said. “I just want people to hear [my music] ... and cherish the time that they’ve got with their loved ones.”[3]
Toward the end of the season when Tongi visited his hometown on Oahu’s North Shore, he was also welcomed at the Polynesian Cultural Center with a parade and performances. He also released a single, “I’ll Be Seeing You,” which hit number one on iTunes Charts.[4]
