Heavy/ABC
A pair of “American Idol” season 21 performers met up around Nashville, Tennessee, and jammed out at a Whataburger fast-food restaurant. On June 11, Oliver Steele posted an Instagram video with the backstory of how he and season 21 winner, Iam Tongi, got together over the weekend and broke out into song at the fast-food chain.
Throughout the competition, Tongi and Steele became close friends. Steele shared during one episode after he was eliminated in the Top 8 that he and Tongi had become very good friends and that he predicted Tongi would go on to be the winner of the season. Tongi eventually followed through as the victor with Megan Danielle and Colin Stough rounding out the Top 3.
Iam Tongi Was in Nashville for the 19 Takeover
The reason that Tongi, who recently just had a Billboard No. 1 song, was present in the Music City was due to his appearance at the 19 Takeover. The event was held at The Valentine in Nashville on June 7. The free show featured a collection of ‘Idol’ contestants from season 21 and prior iterations.
Finalists Stough and Danielle were among the group, as was season 21 Top 8 finalist Haven Madison. Past ‘Idol’ contestants also included season 20 Top 5 finalist Fritz Hager, season 18 Top 11 singer Grace Leer, and season 20 winner Noah Thompson along with that year’s runner-up, HunterGirl.
At the event, Tongi was given a runaway of eight songs to perform while the others each took on four tracks.
Oliver Steele and Iam Tongi Jam at a Whataburger
While Steele didn’t participate in the 19 Takeover, he did end up meeting Tongi while he was in the neighborhood. He shared their interaction on Instagram, explaining how he gave the 18-year-old a call to see what he was up to. That’s when Tongi said he was at Whataburger in Madison, Tennessee, which is a suburb of Nashville, before inviting Steele to stop down.
Steele said he was met by Tongi and his family before the two ended up breaking out into song.
“I brought my guitar with me, and of course, it led to us jamming in the middle of a fast food restaurant,” Steele wrote on Instagram. “Shoutout to Iam’s family and friends for treating me like one of their own and being so loving.”
He continued, “Moral of the story is, any time [Iam Tongi] has a guitar, he sets the vibe and the mood. Proud of you Toko! It was good to see you again! Come back tot he 615 soon.”
Steele previously shared a group photo from the Valentine in Nashville where he was joined by the season 21 contestants who were in attendance, including Tongi to his right. Tongi also posted a photo of himself with Steele and Stough from his visit on his Instagram.
Since his appearance on “American Idol,” Steele has also reunited with someone who he met on the show. He recently joined rising country music star Jelly Roll on stage at the 2023 Billboard Country Live In Concert on June 7. The two performed “You’re Still The One” by Shania Twain. They originally met at the “Idol” finale where they sang Jelly Roll’s “Need A Favor.”
