Steven Tyler signed as American Idol 10 judge, Aerosmith member confirms

Steven Tyler has officially signed on as an American Idol 10 judge according to one of his bandmates and various reports. Earlier this month, Tyler confirmed Fox offered him the job.

“Steven is doing ‘American Idol.’ The ink is dry on that. So, we’ll have to work around his schedule for a new record,” Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. He also said, “Steven is someone who absolutely lives to be in front of an audience, and the people closest to him know how witty and entertaining he can be. I don’t know if ‘American Idol’ will be rock ‘n’ roll enough for him, but it is an opportunity for millions of people to see another side of Steven Tyler.”

Among other publications, Deadline Hollywood reported that he’d signed a deal, and Nikki Finke noted that “there’s no indication what kind of judge he would make. But music industry types I’ve spoken with stress that performers like Tyler often have a hard time openly criticizing other performers, especially up-and-comers. They find it hard to imagine he’ll fill the Simon Cowell ‘cruel to be kind’ role on the show.”