Blog Chicago artists who should be the guest judge on American Idol            

Alas, the time is here. The preliminary auditions are over, and American Idol is coming back to town tonight for the callbacks. While Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson will occupy the same chairs they always occupy, Shania Twain will be joining them (as each city will have a different guest judge to fill Paula Abdul's animated cat-loving shoes). But come on, American Idol, have some more respect for our city than that. Shania Twain, while a talented singer, is from Canada. Was there no research going into this decision? We've got plenty of singers from Chicago who could do that job. Here are a few options you obviously ignored.

Chaka Khan: What, the Queen Of Funk Soul isn't good enough for you? Sure, "I'm Every Woman" and "Ain't Nobody" might be overplayed and tacky, but you've got to admit it—she's got some pipes and a more impressive resume than Twain's. After years of singing funk, soul, and disco, she would definitely have the ear for the job.

Liz Phair: The Wicker Park rocker is perfect for the show. She's got a widespread appeal (see her Banana Republic ads and her appearances on VH1's I Love The 90s), and her legendary indie-rock records would make for a nice contrast to the other guest judges like, say, Posh Spice and Mary J. Blige. Add just a hint of edge to that panel.

Mavis Staples: She's one of the queens of gospel music and the voice of The Staple Singers. In addition to having sung on some of the best soul records of all time, she was also one of the voices of the Civil Rights movement. And hey, she's still playing shows and releasing albums today. So why couldn't she be picked as a judge? Because "I'll Take You There" isn't as sexy as "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!"?

Peter Cetera (Chicago) or Dennis DeYoung (Styx) - Honestly, neither of these guys actually deserve to be judges on a musical basis. That stuff is terrible. But you know what they do deserve? The paycheck. Help our city's smooth rockers eat, American Idol.

Patti Smith: Okay, so maybe she was only born in Chicago and spent the better part of her life in New York and New Jersey. Still, her birth certificate gives punk's queen more clout than Twain. But why would it make great television? Well, she's got a reputation for being cold-hearted toward people she inexplicably doesn't like, including her late husband Fred "Sonic" Smith's bandmates (Wayne Kramer of the MC5). The look on her face when somebody sings "Kiss From A Rose?" Priceless.