Harry Connick Jr. Joins 'American Idol'

Harry Connick Jr. has been named a judge on American Idol, joining Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Connick has previously appeared on the Fox singing competition in a mentoring role for the contestants. Sources said that the artist would be the third and final judge on the series. Since Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson announced their departures in May, the search has been on for a new replacement.

Last week, Dr. Luke bowed out of consideration. Dr. Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, would have faced a conflict of interest with Sony music by helping to develop talent for Universal Music. He has been a top hitmaker for many stars such as Britney Spears and Katy Perry.

A source close to the hit maker said he realized that joining Idol would have been too much of a commitment on his time. "He really loves his artists and wants to build up the label," a source said. "Luke wants to build an entertainment company ... after a lot of conversations, both Luke and Sony Music CEO Doug Morris came to the mutual agreement that taking Dr. Luke out of the Idol running "was the best thing for all parties."