American Idol News: Obama Taps Jennifer Hudson For Anthem; New AI Judge Confirmed

American Idol may be off the tube for this year, but that dosesn’t stop the weekly karaoke fest and ratings juggernaut from continuing to make news. As this year’s two David’s (Cook and Archuleta) release their records, and the rest of the Idol gang pack concert arenas, the big news comes on two other fronts.

First off, several news organizations, including the The New York Times report that there will be a fourth judge sitting in the booth next to Simon, Randy, and Paula next year. Joining them at the judge’s table will be Kara DioGuardi, a songwriter and producer whose songs have been recorded by such artists as Celine Dion and former Idols Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

The move is widely believed to be an attempt to spruce up ratings for the Fox television series, which were down a bit for this past season. American Idol nonetheless remains one of the most watched series on television. “We are turning the heat up on ‘Idol’ this year,” the show’s creator and executive producer, Simon Fuller, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Access Hollywood is reporting that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has tapped former American Idol and Dream Girls Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson to sing the national anthem this Thursday night when Obama accepts his party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The former Idol contestant releases her self-titled debut album on September 30, and her movie The Secret Life Of Bees, in which she co-stars with Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Dakota Fanning comes out on October 17. Obama and his wife Michelle provided some humor during today’s opening day at the Democratic Convention when their daughter hammed it up following Michelle’s speech, yelling out “hi daddy” when Obama’s image was beamed to the convention via satellite.