Luke Bryan Reveals the Reason He Almost Passed on Becoming a Judge on ‘American Idol’

Luke Bryan is looking back on an unexpected career decision that led him to spend nearly a decade as a judge on American Idol. After officially wrapping his ninth season on the hit singing competition earlier this year, he spoke to Cigar Aficionado about his journey on the show and revealed that he was initially hesitant to take on the role.

He explains when the opportunity first arose for him to take a seat on the judging panel, his career was already keeping his schedule so booked that he wasn’t sure he would be able to handle adding something new to his plate. The Georgia native was seeing so much success in his career that stepping into a completely new world felt like a risk.

“At the time, I was doing stadium shows…I was as busy as a human being could be. So, I was a little reluctant to add another layer of commitment and concentration. When you’re selling out football stadiums and your albums are doing everything you’ve dreamed of, throwing a distraction in the mix was something that was a little bit challenging,” Bryan admitted.

The hitmaker put his fears aside and took the leap, joining Katy Perry and Lionel Richie on the American Idol Judging panel. His joined the show in in 2018 during the show’s 16th season, which also marked its first season airing on the ABC network.

He now is confident in the fact that saying “yes” was the right decision to make. The opportunity has introduced him to a new community of fans and experiences that have given him even more knowledge on the industry that he can now pass on to the next generation.

  “…at the end of the day, I kind of made the decision to do it. And nine years later, still at the desk and I look back and it’s been an amazing experience for me. The lessons and things that I’ve learned are just countless,” Bryan added.

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Luke Bryan’s future on American Idol has yet to be determined, but it has been announced that the iconic series will be returning for its milestone 25th season. While the show will not premiere on ABC until 2027, auditions for the next American Idol begin Tuesday, Aug. 25, with the return of “Idol Across America,” the live virtual nationwide search for the next superstar.

Taking place across all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., the auditions will allow a brand-new crop of talented singers to showcase their talents face-to-face with an “American Idol” producer, from anywhere in America, across any official audition date. From there, producers will decide who will continue to the next round with the judge auditions.

The show reports that contenders will also be allowed to audition during open-call dates, and auditions will be open worldwide to all those eligible. 

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“Idol Across America” auditions will be held as follows (subject to change):

• VIP Day (Aug. 25): Only the first 250 singers who register will secure a spot for their chance to become the next Idol! Once all spots are claimed, registration for this date closes.
• Florida, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia (Aug. 26)
• Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania (Aug. 27)
• The South Open Call (Aug. 31)
• Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin (Sept. 1)
• Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington (Sept. 2)
• Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas (Sept. 8)
• Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming (Sept. 9)
• Nationwide Open Call (Sept. 11)
• East Coast Open Call (Sept. 14)
• Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina (Sept. 16)
• Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont (Sept. 18)
• West and Midwest Open Call (Sept. 21)
• Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi (Sept. 23)
• Delaware; Maryland; Ohio; Washington, D.C.; Rhode Island; Massachusetts (Sept. 25)
• Nationwide Open Call (Sept. 28)

Those looking for more information on how to sign up for “Idol Across America” should visit americanidol.com/auditions.

The judges for the upcoming season have not been announced, however, if Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie were to reclaim their role, they would enter their 10^th year while the newest judge to join the team, Carrie Underwood, would begin her third season on the show.