Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Iam Tongi performs during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark. (ABC Photo)

And he told show hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that he can sometimes still hear his late father Rodney when he sings.

Music was there favorite way to bond, Iam has said. And they often sang together, with his father providing the harmonies.

Iam even posted several of the songs they sang together on his YouTube page.

“He harmonized,” Iam told Kelly and Mark about his father. “And when I sing those songs, I can hear his harmony.

“At first, I was sad about it. I didn’t want to sing because I heard him.

“But my mom (Ellie) was telling me, ‘Maybe that’s a good thing. You can hear him, wherever you go. On this journey that you take, you can hear him.’ So I just took my mom’s perspective.”

Since his victory, Iam’s new single has rocketed to number one on the Apple Music singles chart.

And “Dreams,” a song he released before the show — one his wrote for his sister’s wedding — has been streamed nearly 400,000 times on Spotify.

Kelly also asked Iam about the best piece of advice he received on Idol.

His answer: “I’ve always been told ever since I started singing that when I sing you can feel it, you can feel it in your soul. So I try to focus on that and just make it better.”

Check out the full interview here.

See also …
Iam soars to number one on the Apple music singles chart
Iam Tongi wins American Idol
Iam Tongi’s winning night on Idol in photos
Iam Tongi’s journey to the Idol finale in photos