• The Hollywood Reporter, Thursday, December 30, 2010 11:52 PM

Among the changes for the upcoming tenth season of "American Idol" is a new music director to fill the seat Rickey Minor vacated when he left to lead "The Tonight Show" band at the end of Season 9. Ray Chew, a veteran of television music shows, has been handed the title and is already hard at work coming up with arrangements for the new crop of contestants. Chew has served as bandleader and musical director for such programs as NBC's "It's Showtime at the Apollo" and "The Singing Bee."

He also curated all the music for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, where "Idol" alum Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem, and the inaugural ball ushering in Barack Obama's presidency in January 2009. Chew has worked with many stars, including Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Alicia Keys.

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