American Idol has moved into Hollywood week, and on a recent episode, contestants teamed up to perform together. Oliver Steele and Iam Tongi made a talented duo, but when Tongi's guitar broke before the show, the duo almost met an insurmountable obstacle. Tongi explained that his guitar was gifted to him by his late dad and he aimed to use it during every performance, but the pre-amp — which amplifies the guitar — unfortunately died. Tongi agreed to use another guitar, but he became emotional when he explained the situation to the judges.
"When I was a kid, I wanted to play the guitar and we didn't have much money growing up and it was expensive," he said. "My dad spent his holiday paycheck to buy me that guitar. I made a promise that I was going to use it every performance."
Luke Bryan then reassured Tongi that they would have the guitar fixed.
The two then dove into the performance, singing The Weeknd's "Save Your Tears." The song served as a tribute to both their dads: Tongi revealed in his audition that his dad passed away months before the competition and Steele brought his dad - who had suffered from a stroke — to the audition with him.
The performance not only exuded emotion, but it showcased the singers' brilliant harmonies and their powerful voices during solo parts. Tongi had no problem with the new guitar, but he appeared to be looking down towards the instrument during the performance. His effortless voice shined through the song. Steele also made a mark on the judges with his strong voice, and he made sure to showcase his full range and add his own style to the song.
The judges enjoyed the performance and Bryan shared a sneaking suspicion that Tongi had the words of the song written on the guitar. Tongi then picked up a piece of paper he had taped to the guitar from which he read the words.
"Never change. Never change," Perry said.
American Idol airs Sunday and Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
