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Cover Story New Year, new 'Idol': J. Lo and Harry Connick Jr. shake things up By Kyla Brewer TV Media J anuary is a great time to make a fresh start, and one of prime time's most successful series is shaking things up with some fresh talent this season. Grammy and Emmy winner Harry Connick Jr. joins pop icon Jennifer Lopez in the 13th season of "American Idol," airing Wednesday, Jan. 22, on Fox. Admittedly, this isn't Lopez's first kick at the "Idol" can — she previously served as a judge in seasons 10 and 11 of the mega-hit talent search series. This season, she and Connick Jr. sit at the judges table alongside country music star Keith Urban, who's back from last season. Together, they'll scour the nation in search of vocalists who have what it takes to make it in today's music industry. In another "Idol" shakeup, Randy Jackson steps out from behind the judging panel for the first time since the show's debut in 2002 to act as the contestants' mentor. A veteran of the program, the record producer and famed former A&R rep couldn't be better suited to offer the hopefuls advice in their quest to become the next big music sensation, and he couldn't be more excited about his new role. "Surprise, surprise! I am so happy to be back as part of this amazing show that started it all," said Jackson. "Season 1-3 is the place to be. The original talent show is back with a vengeance and ready to discover the best talent in America." Fans of the program were thrown into a funk when it was initially announced that Jackson wouldn't be returning as a judge this season so he could focus on other business ventures. Luckily for his fans, he had a change of heart and has been welcomed into the "American Idol" family once more, albeit in a new role. Fans will likely be happy that not everything has changed. Ryan Seacrest, who like Jackson has also been with the show since its inception, once again guides viewers and auditioners through the season as the perpetually cheerful host of the program. A modern-day Dick Clark, Seacrest rose to fame in a large part thanks to "Idol" and his ability to connect with contestants from all walks of life, an important factor in the audition phase of the program, which is what viewers will see when they tune in this week. The journey to find the next "Idol" began way back in the summer of 2013 with auditions in Boston, Mass., Austin, Texas, and many other major centers. Also, the "American Idol" Audition Bus Tour hit the road to offer hopefuls in five cities the chance to audition for the popular show in August. Singers in Little Rock, Ark., Oxford, Miss., Tuscaloosa, Ala., Knoxville, Tenn., and Winston-Salem, N.C., flocked to the bus in the hopes of earning a coveted spot on the show. Those who couldn't make it to the auditions 2 • January 19 - 25, 2014 were invited to submit a recording at americanidol.com by performing an a cappella version of a song. The website is proving to be a valuable resource for the show as it also allowed friends and family to nominate a performer who may be too bashful to audition on their own. Back for Season 13, the "Nominate an Idol" program invited individuals to secretly submit videos of potential candidates singing, and some of those "nominees" could be surprised by a film crew. Diehard fans could even check out americanidol.com to follow the bus, access exclusive videos, interviews and photos and get the scoop on behind-the-scenes info throughout August. The online content gave fans but a small taste of what was to come, and now "Idol" is back in full force. The camaraderie between this season's judges serves as a big contrast to last season, which was rife with controversy because of a public feud between judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. The two divas clashed almost from the beginning of their tenure on the program, but it appears this season's panel has been getting along swimmingly since they started working together. In a December interview for Parade.com, Connick Jr. called working on "Idol" "heaven" and even tweeted about it. He went on to say how much he and his fellow judges have been enjoying their time together. Rumor has it that the trio has hit it off so well, there's talk of them performing together at some point. Whether or not the famous judges entertain viewers on the "Idol" stage, the contestants certainly will. Once the finalists have been chosen, they'll perform weekly in the hopes of earning America's vote and moving on in the competition as they vie for a lucrative recording contract and perhaps even more valuable exposure as an artist. After all, even some finalists who failed to win their respective seasons have gone on to fame and fortune. "Billboard" magazine claims the show has spawned hundreds of chart-toppers, including, of course, songs by winners Kelly Clarkson (Season Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. as seen in "American Idol" 1) and Carrie Underwood (Season 4), but also runners-up Clay Aiken (Season 2) and Katharine McPhee (Season 5), who've both since made names for themselves as television personalities as well as singers. Most famous perhaps is the story of Jennifer Hudson, who only made it as far as seventh place on Season 3 of the hit series. She went on to win an Academy Award and Golden Globe, among other accolades, for her film debut in 2006's "Dreamgirls," and a Grammy for her self-titled debut album in 2008. This year alone, "American Idol" alums earned eight 2014 Grammy nominations. Former contestants Fantasia (Season 3), Clarkson and Mandisa (Season 5) are all up for awards, as is judge Urban. Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard recently re-entered the spotlight not for his vocal abilities, but for his battle with his weight on NBC's "The Biggest Loser." With a pool of talent that includes thousands of young hopefuls, it remains to be seen what kind of stars Season 13 will churn out. Get a glimpse of what's to come as judges Lopez, Urban and Connick Jr. face the early audition round Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 22 and 23, on Fox. Med Plus 1/16 pg Communities listed D - Danville V - Veedersburg H - Hoopeston O - Oakwood TVWeek V - Veedersburg Ca - Cayuga Co - Covington W - Westville

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