NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Singer-songwriter Jewel will be a judge on the upcoming season of the "Nashville Star."
She'll join John Rich of Big & Rich as a judge/mentor on the country music reality series, which premieres June 9.
Last year, Jewel hosted the national talent search, which seeks to find the next country music star. This year's series is hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus.
"As a young artist, I really benefited from having great mentors like
Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard. They took me under their wings and encouraged me to stand up for things that, as an artist, are important," she said. "They constantly reminded me that an artist's only concern is being great, not being famous. If you are truly great, success should follow."
The 33-year-old singer, whose full name is
Jewel Kilcher, says she's honored to continue that tradition with "Nashville Star," which switches to NBC this year after five seasons on cable's USA Network.
The series has launched the careers of
Miranda Lambert, Buddy Jewel and Chris Young.
A three-time Grammy nominee, Jewel has a string of pop and rock hits including "You Were Meant for Me," "Foolish Games," "Hands," "Stand" and "Intuition."
Her most recent project is a country album, "Perfectly Clear," that was produced by Rich and is set for a June 3 release. The first single, "Stronger Woman," is No. 14 on the Billboard country chart.
Source: AP
