Kelly Clarkson crying on American Idol 2016
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ABC’s hit singing-competition show American Idol returned to TV screens on Sunday evening, where several hopefuls showcased their singing talent in front of a panel of esteemed judges to win a record label deal. It wasn’t long until an aspiring singer had the judges go “through a box of tissues” in a beautiful audition.
The season 21 premiere of American Idol saw 18-year-old Iam Tongi dedicate his stunning performance to his late father on Sunday evening’s instalment of the show.
Before his performance the judges, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie asked the aspiring singer about himself.
The teen shared the heartbreaking story of the passing of his dad, Rodney, who was his inspiration, a few months prior.
The youngster also explained he could still hear his father harmonising with him on each tune, and how he was always keen on his son auditioning for the famous singing contest.
He then delivered a beautiful rendition of Monsters by James Blunt, sending the judges into an emotional display as they “went through a box of tissues” whilst they wiped their tears away.
Throughout the performance, the camera could be seen cutting to Lionel Richie, with the veteran singer constantly wiping his eyes.
Fellow judge Luke Bryan could be seen with tears streaming down his face.
Tongi received a well-deserved standing ovation when he finished his song, with Richie joking how he was worried whether the judges would make it through the song.
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Katy Perry commended the teen on his performance, calling him a “great storyteller” as she said: “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.”
Co-judge Bryan discussed his own heartache and added: “Gosh man, you’ve got a great voice. You did everything perfectly and I love you, and I just want to see you have fun in this whole thing.”
Amid the beautiful performance, Richie took to Twitter to praise the teenager, whilst also admitting him and Bryan “went through an entire box of tissues” during the song.
The teen also pulled the heartstrings of viewers at home as they agreed with the singer songwriter under his Tweet, congratulating the young aspiring singer on his audition.
One fan @KJnTX commented: “Amazing voice!!! Had me in tears … I was remembering my late Father too. Wishing you all the best this season on #AmericanIdol.”
Another @AlanaJaneMohney added: “What an amazing man! He had me crying!” @jir1987 agreed: “Amazing voice!”
A third touched fan @asillings13 added: “What an audition! Hard not to cry,” while a third said: “My box of tissues needs a refill, too. That was absolutely beautiful.”
Judge @lukebryan confirmed Richie’s revelation by quote tweeting his co-stars tweet, saying: “He ain’t lying. #AmericanIdol.”
The teenager is also a hit on Tiktok, where the singer has raked in over 77,000 followers to date.
Tongi has shared many country covers on his TikTok, including Zach Bryan’s Something In The Orange, Vince Gill’s Look At Us, Chris Stapleton’s Tennessee Whiskey, among many other hits.
Alongside song covers, Tongi released an original love song titled Dreams, which was a tribute to his sister’s wedding, can be found on YouTube.
American Idol continues on ABC at 11pm in the US.
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