Nikki Sixx Defends Steven Tyler as ‘American Idol’ Judge

When Steven Tyler was announced as a judge for the upcoming 10th season of 'American Idol,' the Aerosmith frontman was met with more jeers than cheers. Rumors and chatter about the fate of the band aside, some say Tyler's new job will result in a cheapening of rock 'n' roll. Kid Rock shared that sentiment, saying in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "I think it's the stupidest thing he's ever done in his life." Rock continued suggesting Tyler get professional help after deciding to take his career this route.

But Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has now stepped up, joining Tyler in his corner. "I get what he's trying to do, the whole point of Steven Tyler being on 'American Idol' is to not make it cheesy," Sixx said on his radio show, 'Sixx Sense.'

"It's to have a real artist on there. Steven knows how to dress, so he has style; he knows how to design sets; he knows how to write songs, obviously; he plays instruments; he's one of the greatest singers and one of the greatest frontmen of all time. So who's better to judge somebody and give them advice or maybe say they don't have it than Steven?"

As Sixx explained his position more, it became clear that his view is based on the idea that the show will be a more reputable place of discovery with Tyler on board. "There should be more Steven Tylers on there. So when I talked to Steven about that, we were talking about how he has the ability to find the next Jimi Hendrix, the next Janis Joplin, the next Kid Rock. This is a positive thing for music. This is a pipeline that we usually don't have."

Sixx compared Tyler's new job to his new outlet on the radio. Both are embracing new venues to find and promote upcoming musicians. "We're really happy about where we're at in our lives and that we're doing things differently than just using print media and the Internet. Doing stuff with TV and radio, that to me is smart. Kid Rock bashing him feels to me that he's just really trying to get attention. I do know this -- Steven is doing a forward-thinking, really cool thing."