Two months after original “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson returned to the show for a special episode that left fans concerned about his appearance, the music icon has quietly been replaced as the bandleader on FOX’s “Name That Tune.”
As FOX unveiled its fall lineup on July 13, 2026, its press release subtly revealed that the sixth season of “Name That Tune” will premiere on September 21 with Jane Krakowski continuing as host, but with a new bandleader — five-time Grammy nominee Robin Thicke, who’s held court on the network’s “Masked Singer” celebrity panel since 2019.
Randy Jackson Will Remain Involved Offscreen on ‘Name That Tune’
FOXJackson, who turned 70 on June 23, will remain involved behind the scenes on “Name That Tune” as a consulting music producer, TV Line reported, but no explanation was given for him no longer holding court at the piano. In addition, two season five episodes featuring Jackson that never aired will eventually air, the outlet confirmed.
But moving forward, a rep for the show told TV Insider that Jackson will stay behind the scenes, “continuing to lend his unparalleled expertise and passion as a consulting music supervisor, helping shape the show’s signature sound and creative vision.”
“Name That Tune” launched in 2021, based on a similar game show that aired in the 1970s, and has gone through some format changes over the last five years.
At first, contestants were everyday people, but since season three, the contestants have all been celebrities trying to name a song based on hearing only a handful of notes played by Jackson on his grand piano. Celebs who reach the Bonus Round have a chance to earn $100,000 for their favorite charity.
Randy Jackson’s Mentorship Sessions on ‘American Idol’ Left Many Fans Concerned
The news that Jackson will no longer appear on “Name That Tune” heightens suspicions that the former bassist for Journey may be struggling with new or exacerbated health challenges, especially after rumors swirled about his appearance in May.
Jackson, who was an original judge during the first 12 seasons of “American Idol,” returned to the show on May 4 as part of a 20th anniversary reunion with finalists from season six. Though his fellow former judge Paula Abdul, 63, appeared live on the show as a guest judge, Jackson was only seen in taped segments as he mentored season 24 finalists from a chair.
Though Jackson was clearly enthusiastic about giving the finalists some guidance, many viewers were startled by how frail he looked and sounded. Fans flooded a Reddit thread about his appearance, including one who wrote, “What is wrong with Randy Jackson? It looks as though he has aged 50 years in the last 5 years. Sorry if I missed something about his health, but it’s sad.”
Randy Jackson’s Frailty Also Sparked Concerns During a 2022 Appearance with Former ‘American Idol’ Co-Stars
This is not the first time fans have been concerned about Jackson’s health. In 2022, many were shocked by how feeble he looked in videos of Kelly Clarkson’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, as he required a cane to walk.
Weeks later, he opened up about his health challenges on comedian Tig Notaro’s podcast, “Don’t Ask Tig,” discussing how his Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis in 2002 prompted him to get gastric bypass surgery and acknowledging recent back surgery.
Jackson told Notaro that because there’s no cure for diabetes, the main strategy for addressing its effects was “just trying to get your diet under control and trying to get your weight under control and give you more of a fighting chance.”
“Now as I look at it,” Jackson told her, “I’m happy that I did that because it gave me a much better quality of life, even though I’ve been going through some back surgeries over the last couple of years. But on the mend there, trying to get off the cane and walk better.”
“People think it doesn’t happen to us celebs,” Jackson then said about dealing with health challenges in the public eye. “I don’t care what your line of work or who you think you are, it can happen to anyone. And that’s why I often share, I’m an open book with people, because hey, I got health stuff going on too, man. You gotta deal with this stuff.”
