I think a lot of country music fans are really excited to see Keith Urban as a judge on FOX's American Idol.  It turns out, Keith is really excited to be there as well. 

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"I wanted to do 'Idol' because I love the opportunity to not only help somebody, but when you see somebody come in with raw talent and you know that with just a little bits of shaping and guidance they can totally blossom over the course of the whole series," he explains. "That's the exciting stuff."

A former coach on Australia's version of "The Voice," Keith believes strongly in what his new show represents. "I think 'American Idol' has influenced the culture in a huge way," he notes. "The music industry is so influenced by what 'Idol' does. They can take an artist from the tiniest little town and expose them to millions of people, and really slingshot them into stardom. You've got all the shows now that are compared to 'American Idol,' and 'American Idol' still has bona fide stars that have come from there, and have really solid careers."

"American Idol" will kick off its 12th season on Jan. 16 and 17 at 8:00 PM ET on FOX.