American Idol winner Iam Tongi sings national anthem ahead of the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby in Seattle
Iam Tongi calls Hawaii his true home, but currently he and his family are living in the Seattle, Washington area. The American Idol winner came back to town to sing the national anthem ahead of the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday at T Mobile Park in Seattle.
The Home Run Derby is the penultimate event during All-Star week, with only the All Star game on Tuesday (July 11) remaining.
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On Instagram, Iam confessed to being nervous and apologized. “First time singing the National Anthem and it was nerve wrecking that the nerves took over and I forgot to take my cap off.” That lack of protocol probably got some tongues wagging on social media. “So sorry guys. Biggest crowd yet! #yessah.” Nevertheless, Iam performed a simple and beautiful version of the Star Spangled Banner. Maybe he forgot to remove his hat, but he hit all the notes and remembered all the words. Who cares about the hat!
Back in town, Iam is scheduled to perform at the Reggae on The Way concert in Tacoma, WA on July 15. Then, it’s on to a slew of concert dates in California, including two nights at the famed Troubadour in West Hollywood CA.
Iam posted a longer clip of the anthem performance, which includes him preparing to sing. watch it below.
First Pacific Islander to win American Idol
Eighteen year-old Iam Tongi won American Idol season 21, becoming the first Pacific Islander winner in the show’s 21 year history. He auditioned with a cover of James Blunt’s 2019 song “Monsters” and performed it with Blunt on the finale; sparked by their duet, Blunt’s “Monsters” returns to Digital Song Sales at No. 3 with 10,000 sold, up 925%. It debuted at No. 3 with 9,000 sold in March, then fueled by Iam’s audition. Iam’s audition video was a viral sensation, notching over 32 million views on Instagram and 16 million views on YouTube.
Iam told Hawaii News Now that he plans to move back to Hawaii after financial considerations forced his family to move to Washington last year.
