Music veteran and Grammy Award-winning producer, Randy Jackson returns to American Idol season 10 with a new attitude. In the past Jackson was less assertive, this season he promises there will be a bit more hair on The Dog.
AMERICAN IDOL returns for its 10th season with a two night, three hour premiere in two weeks, on Wednesday, January 19th, and Thursday January 20th at 8/7C on FOX.
What can we expect from Randy Jackson for season 10?
Randy Jackson: Listen, I think what you see now is you see all sides of me. I think before people saw only one side because there was Paula, there was Simon; we all had our different things that we do. So I think you will see a new version of The Dog. There’s maybe a little bit more hair on The Dog, if you will.
No. I think it’s a little bit of everything. I think definitely you will see me take a little bit more of an assertive role because I’m the young veteran on the show, do you know what I’m saying, very, extremely, eternally young veteran on the show. So I think you’ll see me take a little bit more of an assertive role in just trying to guide it a little bit. I won’t say that I’ve stepped into the Simon Cowell shoes, I don’t think those shoes could be filled, nor would I want to be in them. No, no, no, but listen, I think you’ll see a lot of excitement. I think you’ll be like, “Wow, Dog.” I guarantee you’re going to say that.
I think, as I’ve been saying all along, I’ve been calling it Idol Season 10: The Remix, and I think we’re just trying to add things that enhances the viewers’ participation and the viewers’ interest even more. I think a lot of these things haven’t quite been confirmed, we’re working them out. We changed the middle rounds a bit, but I think it just makes the show more and more enjoyable now, Season 10.
I think they bring what we have on the phone with us here, the great Brooke White. They bring that artist perspective because they’ve been successful artists for many, many years. I mean, Steven Tyler—45 years and running with one of the greatest rock bands ever, and we can say that he’s a living legend. We’ve got Jennifer; she’s got all three sides of the coin: the acting, the dancing and the singing, a true triple threat, so they’re bringing a different kind of awareness to it. What are you going to say as a contestant to Steven Tyler, who’s got a 45 year running career at the top of the game as an artist? I think today artists would do good to have a 10 year career, let alone 45. I think they bring a lot to it. I think it’s exciting.
Randy, how do you feel so far with Steve and Jennifer and their judging skills?
Randy Jackson: I think they’re doing extremely well. I think that we’ve all gotten some great chemistry, chemistry happened like magic. We had a dinner one night and five minutes into the dinner, it was like we’d all known each other and known each other’s careers before that. I think they’ve become really good judges of talent. I don’t think that there’s any way you can achieve the success that the two of them have achieved in their own careers without being a great judge of talent, because remember you have to judge yourself as well and usually if you’re like me you’re your own worst critic. So I tell every artist never to read their own press, because there are as many people that love you as hate you and you probably are tougher on yourself than anyone will ever be. I think they’ve become really, really good.
One of the things I always felt created such a success was the fact that you had such diverse personalities on the panel. With Simon gone do you think with Jennifer and Steven that you’re going to recreate some of that kind of independence on the panel, where people are going to have a different kind of relationship?
Randy Jackson: Yes, I think that you will definitely see a lot more of that this year. I think we lost a little bit of it in seasons past, but you’re right, that was the whole idea. This show, this panel, like Brooke with this movie, the acting cast in this movie CHANGE OF PLANS, it’s like being in a great band. The thing that I love about bands, and I’ve been in many bands and thank God some successful ones with the Journey boys and everything, is that you’re bound to like one of us. We’re going to give you so many looks you’re bound to like somebody. So I love that. It’s the same thing with this movie. It’s a great cast in this movie CHANGE OF PLANS. Brooke’s co-starring in it with a bunch of great people, she’s singing songs in it.
How about your acting, how did you feel about it, Randy?
Randy Jackson: I was kind of playing myself. Yes, The Dog was always—good playing himself. Do you know what I’m saying? I would do it. Listen, I had a good time doing my little cameo in the movie. Brooke was amazing in this film. She did a great job. This is a great family first movie. I think a lot of people will enjoy watching this movie and enjoy seeing Brooke in it.
By: Daedrian McNaughton