There's upheaval at American Idol, and Bloomfield's own Aretha Franklin reportedly could be the next star enlisted as a judge on Fox's decade-long reality show phenomenon.
But should she?
At 70, Franklin is still among the most iconic and revered singers in modern music history that continues to perform. Her legendary hits that include "Respect," "Chain of Fools" and "Baby I Love You," propelled a career that's spanned five decades, garnered 18 Grammy awards, and earned the historic designation as the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
On Saturday, in response to an email question asking whether she'd be interested in joining "Idol" as a judge or a mentor, the singer responded, "Yes I am interested as a judge!," the Huffington Post reports.
The comments helped fuel speculation that began late this week when current judges Steven Tyler, of Aerosmith, and pop-star Jennifer Lopez, who both joined "Idol" two seasons ago, announced they would not return for the fall season. That leaves just Randy Jackson, an original judge from the hit show's start in 2002.
The program helped launched the successful musical careers of stars like Kelly Clarkson, and Carrie Underwood, and remains popular, though ratings have slipped of late.
The May season finale of "Idol" drew 21.2 million viewers, well off its highs of more than 30 million in the show's heyday, according to the Huffington Post.
