Iam Tongi: The American Idol Winner That Broke and Stole Everyone’s Heart

Get Real with Caroline Hobby

Nashville Podcast Network

Music Interviews, Music, Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2025

⏱️ 85 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Iam Tongi is the Hawaiian kid who broke everyone on American Idol Season 23. He showed up heartbroken—his dad had just passed 3 months before. Music was always their thing. He almost quit completely. But his mom secretly signed him up for Idol anyway.

Then he sang “Monsters”… and the world felt it. That was the moment. He won Season 23, but losing his dad forced him to find his own voice, live, on television. When his guitar broke during Hollywood Week, he knew—this was his dad telling him he could do it on his own.

Now? He just dropped “Unbreak My Heart,” plus “Sunshine” that he wrote for his mom, performed at the Opry, CMA Fest, even has a track in Lilo & Stitch, plus an album in the works… All while losing 110 pounds, still grieving, still growing—and singing from a place only he can. Iam Tongi is a true inspiration, lifting hearts around the world with his voice and story.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an IHeart podcast.
0:04.4	Stay informed, empowered, and ahead of the curve with a BIN News This Hour podcast, updated hourly to bring you the latest stories shaping the black community.
0:14.5	From breaking headlines to cultural milestones, the Black Information Network delivers the facts, the voices, and the perspectives that matter 24-7, because our stories deserve to be heard.
0:26.1	Listen to the B-I-N News This Hour podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:35.0	You say you'd never give it into a meltdown.
0:38.6	Never let kids' toys take over the house.
0:43.0	And never fill your feet with kid photos.
0:48.4	You'd never plan your life around their schedule.
0:51.6	Never lick your thumb to clean their face.
0:55.8	And you'd never let them leave the house looking like less than their best.
1:01.5	You say you'd never put a pacifier in your mouth to clean it.
1:05.7	Never let them stay up too late.
1:09.4	And never let them run wild through the grocery store.
1:12.5	So when you say you'd never let them get into a car without you there?
1:19.9	No, it can happen.
1:21.4	One in four hot car deaths happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and can't get out.
1:26.9	Never happens.
1:28.2	Before you leave the car, always stop.
1:30.8	Look, lock.
1:32.6	Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council.
1:35.7	I know a lot of cops.
1:37.4	They get asked all the time.
	...

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