King County Council recognizes local American Idol winner
Jul 18, 2023, 8:06 AM | Updated: 9:17 am
The King County Council will recognize American Idol winner Iam Tongi, a teenager who lives in Federal Way and graduated from Decatur High School, (Photo from KIRO 7)
(Photo from KIRO 7)
Update 8:06 a.m.:
The King County Council will recognize American Idol winner Iam Tongi, a teenager who lives in Federal Way and graduated from Decatur High School and most recently won American Idol Season 21.
The council will present recognition to Iam Tongi Tuesday for winning American Idol Season 21. Tongi is the first Washington state resident and the first Hawaiian-born person to win the competition.
Though born in Kahuku, Hawaii, Tongi and his family moved to Federal Way in 2019, where he graduated from Decatur High School.
That recognition will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the King County Courthouse.
Original 5/23:
A big win for a Federal Way teenager, after Iam Tongi won the latest season of American Idol over the weekend.
The 18-year-old singer is a native Hawaiian but goes to Decatur High School.
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He got on the show with a rendition of James Blunt’s song “Monsters” – a tribute to his father.
And Blunt was there to help dry Iam’s tears as they sang together during the finale. The entire audience was in tears by the end of the song.
Over the course of the season, Tongi also sang Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” and ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” among other selections, before closing with his own original single, “Don’t Let Go,” after he was named the winner of the show’s 21st season.
