Dr. Luke Not A Judge On American Idol: Contract With Sony Makes Conflict Of Interest

Dr. Luke, the songwriter-producer behind some of our current's superstars' careers, is not accepting the offer to be a judge on reality TV show "American Idol." His contract with Sony is the main reason.

Dr. Luke, or Lukasz Gottwals in real life, is the songwriter and/or producer credited for big hits like  Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and "My Life Would Suck Without You,"Pink's "Who Knew" and Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl." He was supposed to fill in the void left by Randy Jackson as the producer/songwriter/music executive on the panel.

Many observers thought he would be a good choice, as last year's American Idol suffered from the judges' theatrics. The on-air conflicts of Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey made for juicy, reality TV entertainment, but it has affected the shows integrity.

The departure of Randy Jackson, a judge on the show since its inception, created a void for a respected music authority. Dr. Lukewas someone the doctor would have ordered for the show. He has written and produced solid hits and is known for having a keen eye on talent.

The big snag is that Dr. Luke has an existing contract with Sony Music. He has been given a lucrative deal for his own label where he signed artists such as long time songwriter -songstress Bonnie Mckee, rapper Juicy J and pop-urban act Becky G. The "American Idol" finalists will become contract artists exclusively with Universal Records.

The idea that Dr. Luke will judge, mentor and compliment artists that will end up with their corporate rivals would not sit well with Sony. However, Dr. Luke explains that schedule conflicts, not interests, were the cause of his refusal.