‘American Idol’ Near Deal With Country Star Luke Bryan As Judge For ABC Revival

The judges’ panel at ABC’s revival of American Idol is starting to fill out as Luke Bryan is poised to join Katy Perry for the reality singing competition, sources confirmed to Deadline. The country star was previously in talks for a seat on the three-person panel but now has officially signed on to help find the America’s next great pop star.

The announcement of Bryan joining the panel leaves one judge’s seat open. Lionel Richie was previously in talks to join, but his name seems to be taken off the list. Pop singer Charlie Puth has also been a name in the mix. The roster of previous American Idol judges include Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr. as well as the original judges, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell.

Bryan has released five albums since 2007 and has topped the Billboard’s Country Album charts with of his releases. He will be honored on CMT’s “Artist of the Year” special on October 18. He was named “Entertainer of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards. He has numerous hits including “Country Girl (Shake it For Me)” and “Kick the Dust Up.”

American Idol, which originated on Fox, is slated to premiere on ABC in March 2018 with Ryan Seacrest returning as the host.