With Oahu native Iam Tongi catapulting to stardom and winning American Idol, family, friends, neighbors and well wishers celebrated Sunday, at a final round watch party on Oahu's North Shore.
HAUULA, Hawaii (KITV4) -- With Oahu native Iam Tongi catapulting to stardom and winning American Idol, family, friends, neighbors and well wishers celebrated Sunday, at a final round watch party on Oahu's North Shore.
In what's become a custom in recent weeks, the celebration extended onto the streets with fans waving banners, along with cars and trucks packed with Tongi fans - honking their horns in an impromptu parade of sorts.
Iam's aunt Cynthia Channels told KITV4, "This is how Hawaii does it, this is how the North Shore does it, for our championships, for Iam, for everybody, we support all of our kids and we know they can go high, now the rest of the world knows, that Hawaii can put out talent."
"You could see Iam grow from the very beginning that he started up to his final (American Idol) song, he's improved a lot and he's done better and better," said Iam's aunt Casandra Tongi Kaumavae.
Iam received the most fan votes, pulling ahead of finalists Megan Danielle and Colin Stough. He wins the 21st overall season of American Idol.
Growing up in the Midwest, Eric graduated from Chicago's Columbia College and began his broadcasting career as a news anchor-sports announcer at WSHW/WILO radio in Indiana. He later moved on to television and has devoted over a decade to working full-time at TV affiliates in several states across the country.
