Luke Bryan And Jelly Roll Brought To Tears During Iam Tongi and James Blunt’s Emotional ‘Idol’ Duet
It was incredibly moving performance.
Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Iam Tongi; Photos Courtesy ABC, American Idol
Iam Tongi and James Blunt brought Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry and many viewers to tears with their emotional performance of “Monsters” during the American Idol finale.
On Sunday (May 21), the 18-year-old American Idol winner and chart-topping hitmaker joined forces to perform the heart-wrenching track that Blunt wrote as a tribute to his father, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Kidney Disease.
Tongi resonated with the song as he too lost his father to a kidney illness.
The pair traded verses throughout their time on stage together. As lights shined down on them from above they effortelssly belted out the lyrics.
In the middle of the performance, Iam Tongi was overcome with emotions. Tears began to stream down his face. At one point, he had to wipe the tears from his eyes and attempt to compose himself.
As they performed, Jelly Roll could be seen comforting Iam Tongi’s mother from the crowd. Katy Perry was shown wiping tears from her eyes with a tissue, and Luke Bryan could be seen watching on with tears filling his eyes.
Their performance was without a doubt a highlight of the American Idol finale.
Tongi also auditioned with “Monsters,” which served as a tribute to his late father, Rodney.
“My dad passed away a couple months ago,” Tongi emotionally shared with the Idol judges at the time of his Idol audition. As his emotions continued to overcome him, the contestant shared that his Idol audition is in honor of his late father.
Strumming an acoustic guitar, Tongi belted out the lyrics to the Blunt tune and all three of the Idol judges became visibly moved by his heartfelt performance. Bryan was even seen wiping away tears from his eyes with a tissue during Tongi’s audition.
“I’m not your son, you’re not my father / We’re just two grown men saying goodbye / No need to forgive, no need to forget / I know your mistakes and you know mine / And while you’re sleeping I’ll try to make you proud / So, daddy, won’t you just close your eyes? / Don’t be afraid, it’s my turn / To chase the monsters away,” Tongi sang on the tune’s chorus.
At the conclusion of his tearful audition, all three of the Idol judges gave Tongi a standing ovation.
Lionel Richie then assured him “it’s alright man, it’s alright” before saying, “I was not worried about whether you were going to make it through the song, I was worried about whether we were going to make it through the song. Your daddy’s very proud.”
Katy Perry praised Tongi’s song choice and his performance of the tune.
“I mean, what a fantastic song to pick [and] I feel like you could’ve written this song, Perry said. “I mean, you sang it, you delivered it, and you’re making these grown men cry. You hit a nerve and that’s what great storytellers do. That’s what great artists do and your voice is just so magnificent.”
The “Country On” singer connected to his performance as he took in his nephew, Til Cheshire, who also lost a father.
“I cannot handle your heartbreaking about your Dad because my nephew lost his dad and he came to live with me and to see you missing your dad just sucks,” Bryan said as tears streamed down his cheek. ”And gosh man, you got a great voice, you got a great voice. You just did everything perfect and I love ya, and I just want to see you have fun in this whole thing man. It’s just awesome. Awesome that you just did to me and your 18 years old.”
Richie then added, “Let me just tell you something. The story is one thing, your delivery of your story was phenomenal. Young man, you take this into the world and you’re going to fracture some souls. Your dad is very proud.”
“This one’s for Rodney,” Perry exclaimed, honoring Tongi’s late father.
Additionally, Iam Tongi recently released his debut single “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
Solely penned by Season 18 Idol alum Francisco Martin, “I’ll Be Seeing You” serves as a tribute to a loved one who passed away. For Tongi, that person is his father, who died just months before his Idol audition.
The lyrics find Tongi confessing that he’ll never forget “all your wits” and “all of the laughs.” While he admits he’s “lonely,” he has “no fear” because he finds comfort in the fact that he’ll see him again one day.
“’Cause I’ll be seeing you / Seeing you / Wherever I go / And I’ll be / Be with you / Be with you / Wherever I’ll go,” Tongi sings on the chorus.
The song is a beacon of hope for anyone who’s lost a loved one.
“Gone, but your love / Is all I have left / I’ll stand tall / You’ll stay in my arms / Won’t stay in the dark / ‘Cause you’ll look for me,” Tongi sang on the third verse.
The tune, which was released on Friday (May 19), was produced by Oak for the Orphanage, Feenom & Roland Kiss.
Re-live his American Idol journey HERE.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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