Nashville Star



Nashville Star was a country style singing version of American Idol.

Broadcast
USA Network 2003-2007

NBC 2008

Packagers
Reville Productions

495 Productions

Distributor
NBC Universal Television

Hosts
Nancy O'Dell (2003-2004)

LeAnn Rimes and Cledus T. and Wyonna Judd (2005)

Cowboy Troy (2006-2007)

Jewel (2007)

Billy Ray Cyrus and Katie Cook (2008)

Judges
Robert K. Oermann (2003)

Tracy Gershon (2003-2004)

Charlie Robison (2003)

Billy Greenwood (2004)

The Warren Brothers (2004)

Phil Vassar (2005-2006)

Anastasia Brown (2005-2007)

Bret Michaels (2005)

Randy Owen(2007)

Blake Shelton (2007)

John Rich, Jewel, and Jeffrey Steele (2008)

Gameplay
The show was similar to American Idol, in that performers had to sing to impress both celebrity judges and the public via call-in and/or internet votes. Unlike American Idol, however, the performers were limited to country music. This restriction was relaxed for Season 6, allowing for the finalists to choose from many genres of music, but the songs were arranged to maintain a country sound. The winner of the game recieved prizes such as a record contract (Sony in seasons 1 & 2, Universal South Records in season 3, RCA Label Group in season 4, and Warner Bros. Music in the final season), a performance at the Grand Ole Opry, and a pick up truck (Chevy from 2005-2007, Toyota in 2008). The final season also awarded the winner a performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The top 4 finalists each season have been involved in "The Nashville Star Tour", where they perform together on a tour of small venues for a few months following the season.

Trivia
Some contestants appeared more than once during different seasons. People like Kenny Rodgers, Patti Labelle, and David Foster were returning contestants.

Critics called this show a ripoff of American Idol