Dr. Luke In Talks To Join American Idol Season 13
August 19, 2013 by Lindsay Cronin
American Idol may have just found their third judge. Following the return of Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez, reports are now surfacing that singer/songwriter Dr. Luke aka Lukasz Gottwald is in talks to join the show’s upcoming 13th season.
Us Weekly reports that 39-year-old Gottwald was brought up for the spot after negotiations with Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am came to a halt over money issues. Since earlier this summer, it has been speculated that Will.i.am would join the panel but nothing had been confirmed.
Gottwald burst onto the scene in 1997 as the lead guitarist for Saturday Night Live. From there, he went on to produce such hits as Since You Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson, I Kissed A Girl By Katy Perry, and Girlfriend for Avril Lavigne. He’s also worked with Ke$ha, Flo Rida, and several other top artists. In the last few years, Gottwald has been nominated for two Grammy Awards (for Producer Of The Year and Album Of The Year) and has won two ASCAP Awards (both for Songwriter Of The Year).
Currently, Gottwald is working on several tracks on the upcoming albums of Miley Cyrus, Jessie J, and Katy Perry, as well as a few tracks on the debut album for artist Becky G.
Last night, Gottwald mentioned former American Idol judge Randy jackson in a nod to Stepbrothers on Twitter. “I been carrying a samurai sword for months just hoping to run into @YO_RANDYJACKSON to get his signature !!!” Could that have been a mini-hint that he’s got American Idol on his mind?
Also in the running for the third and fourth spots on the judges panel are Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood.