Jewel will be judge on next ‘Nashville Star’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Singer-songwriter Jewel will be a judge on the upcoming season of “Nashville Star.”

She’ll join John Rich of Big & Rich as a judge/mentor on the country music reality series, which premieres June 9.

Last year, Jewel hosted the national talent search, which seeks to find the next country music star. This year’s series is hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus.

“As a young artist, I really benefited from having great mentors like Bob Dylan and Merle Haggard. They took me under their wings and encouraged me to stand up for things that, as an artist, are important,” she said. “They constantly reminded me that an artist’s only concern is being great, not being famous. If you are truly great, success should follow.”

The 33-year-old singer, whose full name is Jewel Kilcher, says she’s honored to continue that tradition with “Nashville Star,” which switches to NBC this year after five seasons on cable’s USA Network.