William Tongi is a famous singer and songwriter who rose to fame with his American Idol Season 21 audition. His audition went viral online, tugging at the audience’s heartstrings.
Besides his fantastic voice and range, another thing that stood out in his audition video was the song he sang. It was a song dedicated to his late father, and Judge Luke Bryan was moved to tears after listening to it.
If you are curious about Iam Tongi and the personal and professional life he has built for himself after his audition on American Idol 21, we have sorted all the relevant information in this guide.
Iam Tongi – Overview
| Other Name | William Tongi |
| Profession | Singer, songwriter |
| Famous For | American Idol Season 21 audition |
| Height | 6’0” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Date of Birth | September 01, 2004 |
| Age | 20 years (as of 2024) |
| Birthplace | Kahuku, Hawaii |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Hometown | Kahuku, Hawaii |
| Nationality | American |
| School / College | Decatur High School |
| Educational Qualification | High school graduate |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Husband / Wife | None |
| Children | None |
| Parents | Father – Rodney TongiMother – Lillie N Rodney Tongi |
Early Life
Born as William Guy Tongi, Iam Tongi was born in Kahuku, Hawaii, to Rodney and Lillie Tongi. While only a little information is available about his early childhood, Iam completed his high school education at Decateur High School.
Iam belongs to a mixed ethnicity household wherein his family’s religious beliefs are in Christianity while their ancestral roots are in Tongan, Samoan, and Irish heritage. Initially, Iam’s family lived in Seattle but later relocated to Kahuku, where Iam was born.
Growing up, Iam was surrounded by a supportive family who supported his passion for music, singing, and songwriting. While we couldn’t find details about Iam’s parents’ professions, tragedy hit the family when Iam’s father passed away a year before he auditioned for The American Idol. This explains why we wanted to dedicate the song to his father.
Besides his parents, Iam also grew up alongside his siblings – two brothers named LeRod and Sitaleki and two sisters named Jeniffer and Cassandra.
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Career
Since Iam had a passion for singing from an early age, he started his musical journey at the tender age of 11, when he started writing his original songs. During that time, he learned to play Ukulele from his teacher.
Iam reported that during the initial learning phase, he faced a lot of complications and finger pain during the learning process. During this period, he also explored songwriting.
However, it wasn’t until 2020 that Iam decided to explore things professionally and released his debut single titled “Dreams.” Although the song performed well, Iam didn’t explore much of his musical career after that and instead backed away for two years.
After two years of his break, Iam decided to try his luck and auditioned for American Idol Season 21. Given how quickly his audition tape went viral, it opened up many opportunities for him as a singer and artist.
With the kickstart to his career, Iam released his single “Efiafi” featuring Manatau Tuifua in March 2023, further acquiring a lot of popularity. Following the initial success of the single, Iam released a few more singles titled “Gone,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and “Trust Me.”
Despite all the fantastic popular songs in the discography, ” Dreams ” is his most famous and streamed song on Spotify.
On American Idol, Iam reached the Top 12 again when his performance of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” performance went viral. The public attention and love that Iam had gained on the show helped him become a finalist and then win American Idol Season 21.
His win on American Idol made him the first Hawaiian contestant on the show to have won the show. Besides fame as an established singer and songwriter, Iam is also an established social media personality. He uses platforms like TikTok and Instagram to post snippets of his songs and even posts behind-the-scenes content.
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Personal Life
Iam Tongi appears entirely reserved about his personal life and seems single. He has gained much traction for singing “Monsters” by James Blunt on American Idol.
If you navigate his Instagram account, you will find Iam posting about his songs, singing career, and family. But, he doesn’t give a look into his dating history on the internet. Given that the singer is pretty young, he has a lot of time to explore relationships in the future.
Iam Tongi is currently focusing on propelling his career and taking things to the next level. Until then, I have been single and not in a relationship.
Net Worth
As of 2024, Iam Tongi’s net worth stands at $450,000. His income sources are pretty diverse, and the primary source is his music career. As the winner of American Idol, Iam has acquired a steady income.
Given his aspiration to become a flourishing music artist, Iam focuses on releasing new music. He acquired $250,000 in prize money following his American Idol Season 21 win. Iam has also earned a steady income through the Spotify streams of his songs.
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Quick Facts
- Iam has disclosed in multiple interviews that his passion for music comes from his late father, who consistently pushed him to pursue music.
- One of Iam’s most viral American Idol performances is his rendition of James Blunt’s “Monsters.”
- Iam’s primary genre of music that he focuses on writing and singing is the folk-indie genre.
- Besides being a gifted singer and songwriter, Iam can play guitar and ukulele quite well.
- During his time on American Idol, Iam was mentored primarily by Catie Turner. Besides that, he was also mentored by Clay Aiken, Phillip Phillips, and Jordin Sparks.
Conclusion
Iam Tongi is a leading Hawaiian singer and songwriter who won American Idol Season 21. Since then, his career has catapulted, and his fans have been entirely dedicated to following his career and supporting the singles he has released. With his mesmerizing voice and charming personality, Iam’s future as a singer is bound to grow indefinitely in the coming days.
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