'American Idol' 2025 Reveals Two Grammy Award-Winning Mentors for 2025
First up will be GRAMMY Award-winner James Taylor, who will serve as the mentor for the Sunday, April 27 episode in which the Top 14 take on iconic songs from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legends as America votes live for the Top 12.
Also, during this episode, Idol host Ryan Seacrest will be revealing the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
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Then, on Monday, April 28, Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barino will serve as the mentor when the Top 12 perform unforgettable songs inspired by iconic American Idol moments, honoring the show's legendary history.
In addition to working as a mentor with the Top 12 contestants, Fantasia will return to the Idol stage to perform.
Taylor has touched people with his warm baritone voice and distinctive style of guitar-playing for more than 50 years, while setting a precedent to which countless young musicians have aspired. Over the course of his celebrated songwriting and performing career, Taylor has sold more than 100 million albums, earning gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards since the release of his self-titled debut album in 1968.
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In 2015, Taylor released Before This World, the first-ever No. 1 album of his illustrious career. Taylor has won multiple GRAMMY Awards, has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and the prestigious Songwriters Halls of Fame and in February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences selected him its MUSICARES Person of the Year.
In early 2020, Taylor released Break Shot, a deeply personal and authentic audio-only memoir detailing his first 21 years. His 19th studio album, American Standard, earned him the 2021 GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and gave him the honor of being the first artist to have a Billboard Top 10 album in each of the past six decades.
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Taylor and his All-Star Band will kick off their tour on May 5th in Phoenix, AZ with stops at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Ravinia in Chicago, as well as two nights at the legendary Red Rocks.
Fantasia won the third season of American Idol in 2004, when she was just 19 years old. Her first single, "I Believe," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 100. It was the top-selling single of 2004, and went on to be certified double platinum. Since then, Fantasia has released six albums, sold more than three million records, won a Grammy, three NAACP Image Awards, two ASCAP Awards, and had twelve top ten hits on the Billboard Adult R&B charts.
Her debut album, Free Yourself, went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA and earned Barrino three Grammy nominations in 2006. In 2007, Barrino played Celie in the Broad Musical The Color Purple, and won the Theatre World Award for that performance. In 2014, she returned to Broadway in the musical After Midnight. In 2014 she was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Her most recent album, Sketchbook, was released in 2019 and adding further to her dynamic and stellar career she leaped onto the big screen in the musical rendition of The Color Purple, taking home the NAACP Award for Best Actress.
American Idol airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Streams next day on Hulu.
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