Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie join ‘American Idol’ judges panel

Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have signed on as judges for American Idol for its first season on ABC when it premieres in March 2018. They round out the panel of judges, alongside judge Katy Perry, who is receiving a $25 million payday. Ryan Seacrest will return to host the series. The panel will make their debut appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America on Wednesday, October 4th.

“I’m excited at the chance to help some deserving artists reach their dreams,” states Bryan, who follows Keith Urban as only the second country judge on the series. “To be in a position in my career to help facilitate this along with the other judges is just a complete honor. It’s gonna be a blast!”

“I am very excited to be joining Katy, Luke and Ryan on American Idol,” says Richie. “As a singer, songwriter and producer, I feel I can bring a great deal of experience to the table. It’s going to be so much fun!”

“Luke and Lionel are the perfect additions to round out our panel of judges for American Idol on ABC,” states Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment. “In their respective genres of music, both Luke and Lionel possess insurmountable popularity and award-winning talent that are undeniable, and we are lucky that they will help in paving the way for hopefuls pursuing their dreams on our stage.”

“Luke and Lionel are the perfect additions to round out our panel of judges for American Idol on ABC.”

Bryan kicked off his ninth annual Farm Tour on Thursday (Sept 28th) performing in six cities through October 7th. Since the tour’s inception in 2009, Bryan has awarded 50 scholarships to a local student from a farming family within the communities the tour has played. Bryan will also continue his Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day Tour through October.

Richie launched his Las Vegas headlining residency show, Lionel Richie – All the Hits, at The Axis at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in April 2016. In an unforgettable evening featuring his brightest and best anthems which have defined the music icon’s unparalleled career, Richie takes his fans on a spectacular musical journey, performing a variety of his seminal hits. With his most recent All the Hits, All Night Long Tour, Richie sold out arenas worldwide with a set list of his brightest and best anthems. In recent years, he also headlined festivals including Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Glastonbury, drawing the festival’s biggest crowd ever with more than 200,000 attendees.

When American Idol debuted in the U.S., the series revolutionized television, pioneering the reality-competition genre and holding an unmatched record for being the highest-rated series for nearly a decade. The series also ushered in second-screen audience participation, being the first to introduce text-based and mobile voting. The Idol format has taken on original versions in 55 countries around the world, and American Idol itself has played to a worldwide audience of over 460 million across 53 countries. At its new home on ABC, American Idol will continue to be a force in the television landscape, reaching every corner of the country in its search for the next great music sensation.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com