Iam Tongi (born September 1, 2004) is a TV personality, singer, and songwriter from Hawaii. He became famous after appearing on American Idol 2023. He was also named the winner of the 21st season of the popular American singing competition.
Quick Facts
Real name | William Tongi |
Nickname | Iam |
Profession | TV personality, singer, and songwriter |
Age | 19 [as of 2024] |
Date of Birth | 1 September 2004 |
Birthplace | Kahuku, Hawaii |
Hometown | Seattle, WA |
Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
Nationality | American |
Religion | Christianity |
College | Didn’t attend yet |
Hobbies | Playing ukulele |
Famous For | Winning American Idol Season 21 |
Iam Tongi Biography
Iam Tongi was born in a Hawaiian family in Kahuku, Hawaii, celebrating his birthday on September 1st. His given name is William Tongi, and he is a Virgo. He is on track to graduate from Decatur High School later this year.
Iam Tong’s Family
Tongi come from a Christian family in America. His ancestors are Tongan, Samoan, and Irish. His family moved to Seattle a few years ago after he spent his childhood in Kahuku.
Rodney Guy and Lillie Rodney Tongi are his parents. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain information about their occupations. It has been revealed that William’s father, Rodney, died about a year before he became a contestant on American Idol. Furthermore, his father was instrumental in helping him learn and master music. He has two brothers and two sisters among his siblings. LeRod, Sitaleki, Jeniffer, and Cassandra are their names. He mentioned them on his social media accounts, but no additional information is available about them.
Tongi’s Age, Height, and Weight
As of 2024,Tongi is 19 years old. His height is 5 feet 7 inches, and he weighs approximately 120 kg (265 lbs). William has dark brown eyes and black hair. His body measurements are unknown, but his shoe size is 9 (US).
Career
At the age of 11, Iam Tongi began learning to play the ukulele. He received instruction from his fifth-grade teacher. He eventually grew tired of playing the musical instrument. His fingers hurt from playing the instrument. He did, however, eventually learn to play the ukulele. In addition, he began writing his own songs.
Finally, in late 2020, he launched his music career with the release of his debut single Dreams. He went quiet after releasing the single and hasn’t released any new music in over two years. Following his win on American Idol, he made a comeback and released a single called Efiafi with Manatau Tuifua in March 2023. His uncle was the person with whom he collaborated on this single. He was always with Tongi, encouraging him to participate in various auditions.
He also released a few more singles, including Gone, The Winner Takes It All, and Trust Me. His most recent single is titled I’ll Be Seeing You. Dreams is his most popular song right now, with nearly 400k Spotify streams.
In his audition for American Idol in New Orleans, he sang James Blunt’s Monster. Three judges gave him a green single, and he advanced to the Hollywood Round. His performance was also among the top 26, and he advanced to the next round. In the Top 26 and Top 20 rounds, he performed “Don’t Let Go” by Spawnbreezie and “The Winner Takes It All” by ABBA, respectively. He advanced to the Top 12 round after being declared safe, where he sang Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.
William continued to excel in the later rounds and eventually made it to the finals. He performed three different songs, including his most recent release, and was voted the winner. He was the first Hawaiian to accomplish this feat.
Tongi’s Net Worth
Iam Tongi’s net worth is estimated to be $450,000. Music is his primary source of income. As his fame grows, he hopes to become a major music artist very soon. He also intends to release new music and perform in front of a large audience.
According to CheatSheet, he would receive $250,000 in prize money as well as a recording contract with Hollywood Records or 19 Recordings. As the winner of American Idol 2023, he gained access to these benefits.