Randy Jacksons looks back on 'American Idol' 20 years later

Former American Idol judge Randy Jackson looks back on his time with Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest on the hit Fox series.

Video transcript

LYNDSEY PARKER: Hi, Randy, how are you doing today?

RANDY JACKSON: I'm good, man. I'm really good. What's going on at Yahoo?

LYNDSEY PARKER: What's going on to Yahoo is I'm talking to you. It's so good to see you again, Randy. I got all my props, got all my props. Got my season 1 shirt, my season 1 shirt from--

RANDY JACKSON: Dude, you know that's a collector's item. Kelly Clarkson-- the big season.

LYNDSEY PARKER: I mean, 20 years. I've often wondered. Obviously, "American Idol" became so huge. And right out of the gate, the very first winner they had was a massive star. Do you think that "American Idol" would not have taken off the way it did if Kelly hadn't been the winner?

RANDY JACKSON: Yeah, I think everything that happened during that first season was really [INAUDIBLE]. It was meant to be, meant to happen. We were meant to meet her.

And Simon Cowell and I had one thing I don't know if these other shows talk about. You only really need one great winner. And Kelly was that one. So when we found her, it was like, oh my god, this is it. So the gods were shining upon us that brought her into the room.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Why did they not originally show Kelly Clarkson's audition?

RANDY JACKSON: I don't know. But to me and Simon and Paula, she was always the front runner. When we met her in Dallas, she sang a little bit, and I go, oh, that's the one. She slid [? under ?] the table. I put her in the judge's seat, then I went and joined, then sang on her spot.

It was the beginning. It was so relaxed. We're in this, like, VFW Hall or whatever Veterans' Hall in Dallas. This is so the meager beginnings of this great show. And it was just classic.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Favorite finale? The finales got bigger and bigger every year.

RANDY JACKSON: My favorite one was really the Kelly one because Simon and I looked at each other and we go like, you know what? This is really going to work. Because in that moment, when she was crowned the winner, she was singing "Moment Like This," we're like, this is going to work.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Well I think as important as it was to have a winner like her from the first season, it was also really important that they cast the judging right. You, Paula and Simon had that lightning in a bottle, that chemistry.

RANDY JACKSON: Magically, it came together. I don't know how, magically, it came together, but we really didn't know if it was really going to work. And anybody that says they knew is lying. None of us knew.

The chemistry that we developed was just amazing because we didn't know about that either. And I think, sometimes, you hear that phrase that ignorance is bliss. It's one of those times you didn't know, so the greatest things happened for us. We just clicked.

Just how much fun me, Simon, Ryan, and Paula had. It was live. When we went live, no one could control us, so we were wild. We said stuff that standards and practices would come down-- you can't say that. I mean, like, we were raw and wild, was what the public doesn't realize. But that's what made the show watercooler talk.

LYNDSEY PARKER: What did standards and practice. tell you not to say?

RANDY JACKSON: Talking about Ryan's dating life-- we said, Ryan, we heard you out with somebody the other night? Who was it? You were in a car. Like, we were on TMZ-- it was that off the hook.

It was the wild boys and one girl club. It was crazy, but we had a blast. We had fun. We hung out all the time, best of friends still.

And then, what people don't really realize, no one realizes-- Simon Cowell and I were A&R guys. We were not just performers like you see on these shows. We were A&R guys. So our life's work was to try and sign, develop, find, discover new artists and make great records.

So what they were about to do was exactly what we did. You know what I mean? It's a step further than just being a great performer.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Given your illustrious history of playing with bands, working in A&R, working in management, was there any trepidation when you were approached to do a show like this?

RANDY JACKSON: Of course, all of that, because to me-- and I don't mean this as disrespect-- a lot of these shows, when you look at the music industry, come off corny. It's corny. So that's the thing that ruins cool. There's no vibe in that, and that's not really what music's about, right?

So it was always about that balance. Can we keep it cool and a little bit edgy so that it doesn't get corny because that's what I was worried about. This is my business, my life. It's not just about being on TV and yapping at a bunch of people. So, yeah, I was definitely worried about that.

First day, two days, weeks on the set, I was like, scratching my head like, is this really going to work? What the-- what is this? You know what I'm saying? Like whoa, what did I just-- what is?

And listen, the first contestant in-- Simon was berating them. And Paula and I looked at each other like, what? If he [INAUDIBLE] this person saying, I hate you. This is terrible. It's awful.

No one had been like that to any contestant. One of the things I don't like today, there's very little truth being told on these shows. If you're terrible, you need to know it.

LYNDSEY PARKER: I mean, I'm just going to say it. "The Voice" tells everyone they're great. But there is a balance. There was a meanness to reality TV then, and sometimes I do think a lot of these shows went a little too far. Maybe they've self-corrected too much, and now they're too nice.

RANDY JACKSON: I think they're all too nice now. And listen, Lyndsey, you know like I know. This is a tough, hard, mean, give-zero-Fs business. So are you fa-- is it a real reality show, or is it sort of [? illegit? ?] So real reality show, you're telling people the truth. Wouldn't you want to know the truth?

So I say all the time in interviews, the thing that helped me the most is the nos, the people that didn't like me, didn't like my playing, didn't like my songwriting, didn't like my producing. That's what made me work and try harder.

It's the same thing that goes in bands. You're in a band. You're bring in these songs, and everybody starts laughing. That song's terrible.

You go back, and you write even better song. The competition and the challenge helps us get better, not the yeses, not you're lovely but not today. That doesn't do anything for anyone.

LYNDSEY PARKER: You don't think, though, that sometimes it got, like, you know-- not necessarily anything you said-- but that the show never kind of crossed the line of being too mean or anything?

RANDY JACKSON: Of course there were times. I mean, ha, I'm remembering a time Simon called someone a name. I'm going to use it. I got, bro, you can't do that. This has gone too far now.

But being honest with someone-- if you're terrible, you're terrible. Wouldn't you want to know that?

LYNDSEY PARKER: Yep.

RANDY JACKSON: And maybe me saying you're terrible is going to help you get your thing together. Maybe you're going to go back to the drawing board and like, no, I'm going to defeat the dog. I'm coming back. I'm coming back to get you, dog.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Do you think the reason why this show and other shows are nicer now-- too nice, maybe-- is because, as you've mentioned, you and Simon were A&R people first, primarily. And most of these shows, including "American Idol," "The Voice," "X Factor," whatever. They aren't that. They are now exclusively judged by pop stars or rock stars.

RANDY JACKSON: Problem with that is, no pop star wants to be mean or wants to be that honest with any contestant because-- imagine I'm an artist. I'm on a show. I'm judging. I'm saying that was terrible.

They could say on the air, well, you're terrible too, Randy Jackson. But for me, I'm good with it because [? Kyle ?] and I took one oath. If you dish it, you got to be able to get it back. Contestants would walk in and say, dog, you're fat. Well, I said, oh yeah, I got mirrors in my house. I know I am.

So that rock 'em sock 'em of reality is gone to me. And an artist is never going to be that brass with someone because they don't probably want to get it back. They don't want to get it back, and they want to be liked.

LYNDSEY PARKER: Well, that's interesting because over the years, there are a lot of artists who, for the record, I do not agree with, who thought "American Idol" and shows that came up like "The Voice" or whatever, in light of "American Idol," were ruining the music business.

RANDY JACKSON: They were wrong. They were wrong. They were wrong. But to each his own.

LYNDSEY PARKER: I love interviewing you. It's always a pleasure. So congratulations on everything you got going on.

And you are back on the original network of "American Idol." You're on Fox for season 2 of "Name That Tune." It's so great to see you on TV-- 20 years on. And it's always wonderful to reminisce as well.

RANDY JACKSON: Oh, Lyndsey, we love you. Yahoo, we love Lyndsey. Lyndsey's a real one, you guys. She's an OG. She's a real one.

And I appreciate you wearing the season 1 shirt. Look at you. Look at this girl go. This girl's got it going on. Lyndsey's got it going on, you guys.

LYNDSEY PARKER: [CHUCKLING]