‘American Idol’: Iam Tongi’s Emotional Audition Left All 3 Judges in Tears

The latest season of American Idol is off to an emotional start in auditions with contestants like Iam Tongi, who brought all the friendly judges to tears. Hailing from Hawaii, Tongi brought a guitar and his heart to the performance. That was all he needed to stir his audience’s feelings, but did he get a golden ticket to Hollywood?

Iam Tongi from O’ahu hopes to get back home someday

An 18-year-old from Hawaii, Tongi told the American Idol judges that he grew up on the island of O’ahu but moved to Seattle three years before auditioning. “Priced out of paradise,” he told them, noting his mom’s 12 siblings still lived there.

Then, he mentioned that his dad, Rodney, died in the months before his audition. He was the one who taught him to play music, so he dedicated his try-out to him.

After listening to his story, the judges were obviously hopeful he would pass. “We’re fixin’ to get you priced back into Hawaii,” country star Luke Bryan told him reassuringly before he started to perform.

Iam Tongi brought all 3 American Idol judges to tears with his rendition of ‘Monsters’ by James Blunt

Tongi was already emotional after mentioning his late father, but he launched into a beautiful acoustic version of James Blunt’s “Monsters,” bringing all three judges to tears.

It’s worth noting that Blunt’s heartbreaking song was written while his father was waiting for a kidney donor with stage-four chronic kidney disease, so Tongi’s performance was emotional. “I’m not your son, you’re not my father / We’re just two grown men saying goodbye / No need to forgive, no need to forget / I know your mistakes and you know mine,” he sang.

Lionel Richie had difficulty composing himself during the performance. Afterward, he said, “I was not worried about whether you were gonna make it through the song. I was worried about whether we were gonna make it through the song.”

He added, “Your daddy’s very proud.”

Katy Perry pointed out that Tongi made “grown men cry” as Bryan wiped away tears. The country star said he connected with the young musician because his nephew came to live with him after his father died, and he recognized that pain. He assured him, “You did everything perfect.”

What’s next for Iam Tongi on ‘American Idol’?

It might go without saying at this point, but Iam Tongi is going to Hollywood! After the judges told him the good news, Bryan declared, “Oh, I gotta give him a hug,” and reassured him again: “That was awesome, buddy.”

Tongi’s uncle waited with an emotional embrace after the audition. The golden ticket-holder explained that it meant so much to him because his dad always wanted him to go to American Idol, which kickstarted careers for country star Carrie Underwood and talk-show host Kelly Clarkson.

Fans hopped on the show’s Instagram post to share their collective happiness and let the judges know they made the right decision. “I can’t stop crying from this audition,” one watcher wrote. “Just amazing!”

Some commenters related to the painful loss of a father. “Ugly crying over here [crying emoji]. I lost my dad some years ago. It’s a deep pain,” someone shared. “I understand.”