Iam Tongi: ‘Idol’ Winner Had One Person in Mind at Opry Debut

Making your Grand Ole Opry debut is a huge moment in an artist’s career, and it naturally leads to some deep reflections. For “American Idol” winner Iam Tongi, the night of his first time on the Opry stage was filled with thoughts of one particular person: his father. This was especially true as he geared up to the play the song “Unbreak My Heart,” which he wrote about grieving his father’s death.

“When we were in the studio, we had to stop recording for a little bit,” Tongi shared while backstage with American Songwriter. The “Idol” alum described having to fight tears while recording the track, and remarked that he still heavily feels the loss of his father. “But it’s hard,” he said. “A lot of people always say it gets easier over time, but it never does. Honestly, it never does.”

Fans Got to See Tongi Sing With His Father in an Emotional Throwback

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Tongi was very open about his father’s death during his “American Idol” audition, and he readily shared how much the man who raised him influenced his music choices. In fact, his father’s death was so painful that Tongi temporarily abandoned music. “There was no reason for me to keep going,” he told American Songwriter before his Opry debut. “I only did music to make him happy.”

Luckily for Tongi (and his fans), his mother signed him up for an audition, and the rest is “Idol” history. Although his father never got to watch his son succeed on the show, fans got a rare chance to see the “Unbreak My Heart” singer and his father sing together in a clip from before his passing. In the throwback video, which was posted to YouTube, the father-son duo sing “Islands in The Stream” while sitting on a couch together.

The Singer Has Plenty of Country Music Memories From His Childhood

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Singing at the Opry was a full circle moment for Tongi, who, thanks to his dad, used to watch videos of other artists performing at the beloved venue. His father inspired his love for many of the genre’s greatest singers, such as George Strait, Kenny Rogers, and Keith Urban. Tongi also learned about country music from a sad source: videos of George Jones’ funeral.

“I’m over here, tearing up just a little kid, watching it crying. It was just crazy,” he recalled of watching the funeral. “But that’s how I know Hank Williams and Garth Brooks, all these guys.” Little did young Tongi know that, someday, a competition show would lead to him performing where so many country legends have made their mark.