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He was once rejected by 'American Idol' — now the show reportedly wants this music icon as a judge

“And he’s a true vocalist, not just a singer. He’s got a once-in-a-generation voice," an insider claimed.

'American Idol' season 23 is inching towards its finale, and the ABC producers are already scrambling to find the next sensational judge for the panel. With two country icons, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, the show creators desperately want another country superstar to guide the contestants. It has been reported that eight-time Grammy nominee Luke Combs is on the radar to become the next judge on the talent show, as per The Sun. Show insiders have described him as the "dream choice." “The network would kill for Luke Combs. He’s at the top of their list. He’s extremely relevant, successful, down-to-earth, and a family man," the insider added. 

However, a traditional rule comes in the way of Combs accepting the judges' seat. “And he’s a true vocalist, not just a singer. He’s got a once-in-a-generation voice," the insider continued. "He really is the perfect package for this show, but the panel cannot be three men, so it wouldn’t work out with this current lineup. But if the panel does get shaken up more one day, that’s the dream," the source revealed. The child prodigy has an impressive music career spanning over a decade, Combs successfully established the feat of all his first five singles earning the number one spot on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. He is also credited with being a member of the Grand Ole Opry at a young age, as per Smooth Radio. 

On the personal front, he tied the knot with Nicole Hocking, a civil engineer, in 2020, and the couple has two sons, Tex Lawrence Combs and Beau Lee Combs. Ironically, Combs was rejected from both 'American Idol' and 'The Voice' during the early days of his career. The country star revealed during an appearance on the 'Full Send' podcast in 2022 that 'The Voice' rejected him because they thought he was not cut out to be a public figure. "I got a letter back after the next audition, yeah, which I made it through, and then they told me essentially that I was too boring to, like, be on television." 

Combs recounted his terrifying audition experience, saying that while there was an age restriction for 'American Idol,' there were hundreds of people wanting to be the next big vocal star on 'The Voice' because of its no-age barrier. "I still have the letter in storage that says you're a great singer, but like, so essentially, it becomes about ratings," he disclosed the sad reality. OG coach Blake Shelton still feels embarrassed to this day about how the singing talent show treated Combs, as per Whiskey Riff. 

"He told me that story… there’s no way around it; it’s embarrassing. Let’s just face it. Luke told me that he kept his rejection letter, his letter saying, We’re not going to put you on the show. He said he put that in his dorm room in college, and he hung it on the wall to push him on, something to fight for. I don’t know if he still has that letter or not, but if he does … I think he should frame it and put it next to his first triple-platinum album that he has," Shelton reacted.