Page 4 - MidWeek Central - Sep 21, 2022

4 SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
Touring ‘American Idol’ Alumni Share Their Wahiawā Roots
BY DON ROBBINS
“Our tūtū man (grandfa- ther), Clayton Chun, was the vice principal of Leile- hua High School for many, many years,” Liahona chimes in. “We remember most spending time with our tutu lady and tutu man, and we loved picking ly- chee and mountain apple from their trees.”
Ammon and Liahona got their American Idol chance from submitting a Zoom au- dition. They debuted on the television show in 2021.
“Our mentors in Wahiawā that stand out the most are our grandparents. From a young age, they taught us how to love and serve oth- ers and to be kind to one an- other. That gave us a good foundation in our lives,” Ammon says.
Acclaimed singer-song- writers Ammon and Lia- hona Olayan are gearing up for an American Idol Alumni Tour throughout the mainland in October and November, but they say they will never forget the fond memories they have of their time growing up in Wahiawā.
“New Year’s Eve was the best with tons of fireworks, and Halloween was even better because tūtū man would drive us up the hills in Wahiawā to go trick or treating,” Ammon fondly recalls.
The siblings now have a new album coming out of self-penned original songs titled, Gotta Move On. Meanwhile, this summer, Ammon and Liahona also released their recent Chris- tian/pop crossover music video Pray to God on dig- ital platforms.
“The people of Wahiawā are really down to earth and very kind and loving. They influenced us to be true to ourselves and not to worry about what others think,” Liahona adds. “We love the small town of Wahiawā and our favorite places to eat are Kilani Bakery and Dong Yang. If those places ever went out of business we don’t know what we’d do!”
“We lived in Wahiawā for the first five years of our lives,” Ammon shares.
Although their musical journey in life has taken them to Hollywood and beyond, the Olayan sib- lings share that their fami- ly members, neighbors and even the local businesses in Wahiawā have made a last- ing, favorable impression on them.
They did not attend any of the schools there, but their mom, Temple, grew up in Wahiawā and attended Wa- hiawā Elementary School. When she reached the sev- enth grade, she attended Kamehameha Schools until graduation.
The Olayans now reside in Utah, and besides Wa- hiawā, they also lived on Hawai‘i Island. It was there that they began writing mu- sic.
For more information, visit ammonandliahona. live.
American Idol contestants and former Wahiawā residents Liahona and Ammon Olayan enjoy pastries at Kilani Bakery. PHOTO COURTESY THE OLAYAN FAMILY
PREPARE YOUR
HURRICANE SUPPLIES NOW
MAKE SURE LOVED ONES ARE READY WITH AN EMERGENCY PLAN.
Learn more at PrepareNowHawaii.org
ROOF MAXX is a quick, natural and affordable alternative to a complicated, expensive and life-disrupting asphalt roof replacement.
$200 OFF
FULL TREATMENT ROOF MAXX • 808-522-7663
with this coupon. Not valid with other offers. Exp. 9/30/22
$15K
Average Cost of Roof Replacement
$2K
Average Cost of Roof Maxx Treatment
$13K
YOUR SAVINGS!
REJUVENATE YOUR SHINGLES TODAY!
WE ARE THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH FOR YOUR ROOF!
808-522-7663
getroofmaxx.com