American Idol: Lesser-Known & Fascinating Facts About The 2021 Judges

The premiere of American Idol season 19 aired on February 14 on ABC, and we’re here to share some lesser-known facts about the panel of famous judges. Ryan Seacrest is the show’s longstanding host and the returning judges are Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. While the three judges are household names, some fans don’t know everything about them. There are fascinating facts that just aren’t common knowledge.

Fans are fascinated by these American Idol judges because they are music industry legends in their own right. Katy Perry reigns in the pop niche, where Lionel Richie has also proved himself. Luke Bryan is a country music sensation. These judges understand the demands of singing on stage and in recording studios. Since they are so celebrated, it may seem like we know everything about them, but that just isn’t true.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry is known for being kooky and embracing her weird side. Before she was climbing the pop charts with her breakout song “I Kissed A Girl,” Perry released her first album. That record was a Christian pop album, and Katy was using her birth name, Katy Hudson. The album was a failure and only reached 100 people. The record label went bankrupt after that. She later became a successful pop diva with many number one songs.

Katy holds two Guinness World Records for “Best Star on the US Digital Chart by a Female Artist” in 2010 and “Best First Female with Five Number One US Singles from 1 Album” in 2013. One thing that people might not know is that the “California Girls” singer lives with OCD (Obsessive-compulsive Disorder). Perry mentioned in an interview that her OCD symptoms are so intense that she prefers to be referred to as “CDO.”

Lionel Richie

These days, Lionel has been in the spotlight for being the father of Scott Disick’s ex Sofia Richie, but there is much more to him than that. Lionel Richie has written many songs, including the hits “All Night Long,” and “We Are The World.” When writing Kenny Rogers’ hit “Lady,” he was sitting on the toilet, which he revealed during a 2014 appearance on Today. Richie is also big in the Arab world; he’s particularly popular in Iraq. John Berman, who is a news reporter for ABC, reported in 2006 that Iraqi civilians were playing All Night Long when the United States tanks moved into Baghdad. Lionel almost became a priest, but ultimately decided that it wasn’t the right path for him. Now, the world is blessed with his angelic voice.

Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan may have been born to sing. The country star could hum “Rock Of Ages” before he could talk, according to his mother. The “Play It Again” singer also uses an alias. Like a lot of celebrities, he has opted to use a stage name rather than his real name. In Bryan’s case, his real name is Thomas Luther Bryan.

His wife Caroline Boyer was his college sweetheart. The pair tied the knot back in 2006, and six years later, he got a tattoo of her initials on his butt. While he never confirmed the tattoo rumor, country music superstar Jason Aldean spilled the beans. Jason talked about it in an interview with Chicago station WUSN, saying, “He was complaining about it [itching], and I was like, ‘What is wrong with you?’” Aldean noted that the two were on tour together when Bryan showed him his tattoo. With all three judges having such unique backgrounds, there’s plenty of entertainment to go around! American Idol Season 19 concludes on May 23, 2021, on ABC.

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