Diana Ross
One of the greatest pop divas of all time, Ross has the wisdom and the success to mentor more youthful performers.
(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Eddie Murphy
In Dreamgirls Murphy proved he could carry a tune. But he also could inject some much needed wit and good humor into the singing competition format.
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Wendy Williams
Williams, the radio and TV personality, is certainly not shy about voicing her opinion — no matter how outrageous. She would be the perfect fit fo this kind of show’s format.
(AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
Kanye West
Love him or hate him, one think you have to admit about Kanye is that he has no problem being honest about his feelings. Which is why he would be a very watchable ‘character’ on this kind of show.
(AP Photo/Spencer Weiner)
Whitney Houston
Houston’s rollercoaster career can serve as both an inspiration and cautionary tale to up-and-coming singers. Plus, she still has one of the best voices in the game.
(Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images For The Recording Academy)
Lil Kim
Lil Kim has been looking to make a comeback for a while now. We think this would be the perfect format for the Queen B.
(Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)
Bootsy Collins
Booty’s one-of-a-kind delivery and reputation as an unlikely industry survivor would be a colorful and candid addition to any panel.
(Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for BMI)
Adele
Besides being one of the hottest acts in music right now, this British vocalist has a legitimately gorgeous sound and would be a good guide for emerging acts.
(AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)
Chaka Khan
Arguably one of the most underrated R&B vocalists of all time would be a smart and sophisticated choice — with the vocal chops to back up what she says.
(Photo by John M. Heller/Getty Images)
Jill Scott
Scott’s sultry modern soul vocals would be a refreshing sight to see on the increasing bubblegum sounding reality singing shows.
(Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
20. T-Pain (tie) – $5 million Bargain: Clearly Auto-tune isn’t dead. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Elton John
The rock icon is a stickler for singers who don’t cheat with studio tricks in their live performances. So he would likely hold contestants to his undeniably high standard of excellence.
(AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Smokey Robinson
This Motown icon is the perfect personification of the term living legend. His impeccable vocal ability has barely been by diminished by age and he has life lessons to spare.
(Photo by Dr. Billy Ingram/WireImage)
Fantasia Barrino
As a veteran of the singing reality show contestant (American Idol), Fantasia is uniquely capable of providing advice about how to not only succeed on the show but to translate that success into a real career.
(Photo by Scott Cohen/Getty images)
Brian McKnight
One of the most beloved R&B voices of the late 90s and 2000s, McKnight could be a great influence on performers who want to be sexy but sincere.
(Photo by Scott Gries/PictureGroup)
With the premiere of NBC’s The Voice and the enduring popularity of American Idol, theGrio got to thinking about other performers we’d love to see sitting on a panel of judges (or in The Voice’s case, vocal coaches) and offer their insights and opinions. Some of them would be entertaining, some would be insightful, while others would just make good television. Check out our picks and see if these are the ideal celebs for this reality show format.
