ʻAmerican Idol’ contestant Thunderstorm Artis is eliminated

Singer and songwriter Thunderstorm Artis, who was born and raised in Hawaiʻi, was eliminated from “American Idol: Season 23" on Monday, May 12, when voters picked three out of five candidates to advance, according to TVLine and Yahoo News.

Currently, Artis and his wife, Faith, and their two kids have been based in Nashville since 2019, but his mother and sisters still live in Hawaiʻi. He visits multiple times a year, Artis told Aloha State Daily. 

As part of the performances on Monday, May 12, Iam Tongi, who grew up in Kahuku and won Season 21 of “American Idol,” performed “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride,” which is part of the soundtrack for Disney’s live action movie “Lilo & Stitch” set to debut in theaters on May 23. Iam was joined on stage by members of the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus.

In connection to Disney night, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who voiced Maui in "Moana" and "Moana 2" was also in attendance. A Hawaiian crime saga featuring Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio,  and Emily Blunt recently found a home with  20th Century and Disney.

Artis is no stranger to musical competitions. He placed third in “The Voice” in 2020. Since then, he became a husband and father of two. The competition this year included a moving cover of Journey’s “Faithfully,” dedicated to his wife. 

“It's been nice to be able to represent Hawaiʻi on the national stage,” he told ASD before the competition on Monday. “Even though I live in Nashville, I wanted to represent Hawai‘i, because that's my heart and that's my soul, and everything I do is an extension of the place that I grew up in.” 

Follow Artis on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.