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William Tongi will feature in the brand-new and exciting season of American Idol 2023. The contestant made the judges emotional with his heartbreaking story of losing his dad a few months before his audition, as the 18-year-old Hawaiian showcased his singing talent in front of the judges during the audition round. The talented young man specializes in love songs with a folk-indie flavor.
The latest season of American Idol will feature superstar judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Katy Perry. The American Idol season 21 format includes auditions, Hollywood Week, Showcase Rounds, and the Top 24 rounds, where participants will perform solo and celebrity duet performances. After the Top 24 round, contestants will be brought down to the Top 16 and then the Top 12, who will eventually be able to participate in the live events.
Meet 18-year-old American Idol 2023 contestant, William Tongi
18-year-old William "Guy" Tongi, of Tongan/Samoan/Irish descent, was born on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, in Kahuku on September 1, 2004, to parents Rodney Guy and Lillie N Rodney Tongi. The teenager has a distinct set of musical talents that most can't match.
Despite his young age, the American Idol contestant has already released a single Iam Tongi in 2020 called Dreams. He penned the song specifically for his sister's wedding. His sister shared with him the tale of her and her now-husband, her then-fiancé, and made it into a lovely love song.
Tongi is currently a senior at Decatur High School in Washington State. He first became interested in music in the fifth grade after receiving ukulele instructions from an instructor. Then William picked up his guitar and began to play.
In an interview given to singer/songwriter Lauren Gruwell, although he characterizes his music as a blend of country and alternative, he claims that listeners often compare it to an island. Tongi is a guitar and ukulele player as well.
Tongi frequently shares song covers on Tiktok and Instagram. Over 500,000 people have liked his profile, and he has over 77,000 followers on TikTok. Among the songs he has covered are Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" and Vince Gill's "Look at Us."
William claims that music helps him focus and has ADHD, according to the introduction to a 2020 visit on the Rikishi Driver Talk Show.
William's social media accounts claim that his father, Rodney, who passed away in late 2021 at the age of 50, had a significant influence on his musical taste. William stated that his father was a singer. Along with sisters Cassandra Alvina and Leilei Tongi and brother Leorod Tongi, William is the youngest of his siblings.
While auditioning for American Idol, William revealed how he went through the loss and how he was introduced to music by his father's hands. Tongi sang singer James Blunt's "Monster" during his audition round, which Blunt had composed for his father. Tongi's performance made the judges emotional.
American Idol viewers know that several Hawaiian talents have made it past the audition stage and competed in earlier seasons. Jordan Segundo finished 26th in Season 2, Jasmine Trias third in Season 3, Camile Velasco in the ninth, Liahona Olayan 19th in Season 19, and Eli-Mac third in Season 3. Will William Iam Tongi surpass all of them in reaching the top spot? We shall see.
American Idol 2023 will premiere on Sunday, February 19
American Idol is back with its sixth installment on ABC and the 21st in the show's timeframe. The nationwide hunt for the show's installment got underway with auditions in Las Vegas, Nashville, and New Orleans, where contestants competed for a chance to go to Hollywood Week.
American Idol season 21, whose Emmy-winning host is Ryan Seacrest, stated that the season will be "very terrific" and will feature many competitors who are genuinely committed to their craft.
Idol released a preview clip of one of those competitors, 16-year-old Haven Madison, ahead of the show's premiere. Her father, a Christian band's main singer, raised her aboard a tour van. During her interview, he played the guitar. It was a bold step for her to perform an original song, "Fifteen."
Platinum tickets for the show are anticipated to return. The judges will distribute platinum tickets at each of the audition sites. The candidate receives a position during Hollywood Week and has access to other contestants' performances so they can choose the best duet partner.
American Idol season 21 premieres on Sunday, February 19, at 8 pm ET only on ABC. The day after their ABC debut, at 3 am ET, new episodes can be streamed on Hulu.
