Mary J. Blige Signs On to American Idol
Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige will be a guest judge on American Idol this season.
Blige, the Grammy-winning Queen of Hip-Hop and Soul, will sit on the judges' panel when Idol heads to Atlanta for auditions, according to People.com.
Simon Cowell near deal for three more years of Idol
Judges Kara DioGuardi, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell, host Ryan Seacrest and guest judge Victoria Beckham were all in Boston Friday finishing up that city's auditions. "The judges and production team have been having a lot of fun with Victoria," a show source told People.com. "She's had a great response so far, and has been really warm with the contestants."
See photos of last season's American Idols
After Paula Abdul's surprising announcement that she would not return to the show, Fox executives announced that Beckham, Katy Perry and other yet-to-be-named celebrities would serve as guest judges during the audition rounds.
Fox has not named a permanent replacement for Abdul. Idol's ninth season premieres in January 2010.