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Joe Viles, Fox Joining "Celebrity Duets" host Wayne Brady, front and center, will be actor Cheech Marin, left, WWE champion Chris Jericho, actress Lea Thompson, actor/comedian Hal Sparks, actress Lucy Lawless, 2004 Olympic Gold Medal-winning gymnast Carly Patterson, pop culture guru Jai Rodriguez and actor/director Alfonso Ribeiro. Click photo for larger image. 'Celebrity Duets' When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox. Host: Wayne Brady.

"Celebrity Duets," tantamount to a celebrity edition of "American Idol," premieres next week, allowing American viewers the opportunity (?) to hear a roster of C-list celebrities belt out a song.

Did you ever wonder if Xena has pipes? Can one of the "Queer as Folk" actors carry a tune?

Viewers will get to find out as Lucy Lawless ("Xena"), Hal Sparks ("Queer as Folk"), Chris Jericho (WWE wrestler), Cheech Marin ("Nash Bridges"), Carly Patterson (2004 Olympic Gold Medal-winning gymnast), Alfonso Ribeiro ("Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"), Jai Rodriguez ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") and Lea Thompson ("Caroline in the City") perform.

"Celebrity Duets" is the brainchild of "Idol" judge Simon Cowell, one of this new show's executive producers. "Duets" adds the twist of having the contestants, who are generally not known for their singing skills, paired with star recording artists, including Clint Black, Michael Bolton, Belinda Carlisle, Taylor Dane, Peter Frampton, Macy Gray, James Ingram, Wynonna Judd, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Brian McKnight, Aaron Neville, Smokey Robinson, Randy Travis, Dionne Warwick and Lee Ann Womack.

Music producer David Foster, who also appeared on the Fox reality show "Princes of Malibu," will judge alongside Little Richard and Marie Osmond. Except on the first show, where the judges will cast out one of the contestants, viewers will call in to vote on who should get the boot. (Performance episodes will regularly air at 9 p.m. Thursdays beginning Sept. 7, with the results show at 9 p.m. Fridays). Wayne Brady hosts the series.

"Celebrity Duets" is the brainchild of "American Idol's" Simon Cowell. Click photo for larger image.

If this all sounds a lot like "Dancing With the Stars," well, even Cowell would not quibble with the comparison.

"I'll be honest with you, I really liked 'Dancing With the Stars,'" Cowell said in a teleconference Monday. "I thought it was a really fun show. But I always felt it would work better as a singing show."

To make it work with singers, Cowell said it was necessary to get top-tier recording artists to participate. But is it really wise to pair them with a wrestler or the useless guy from "Queer Eye"?

"I think it's just, shut your eyes, hold your breath and hope for the best," Cowell said. But he was quick to add, "No one was booked for comedy value. The intention was that any of them could win this competition."

Contestants will vie for a $100,000 grand prize to go to a charity of the winner's choice.

"No matter what they tell you, my hunch is they all believe that at the end of this they could become a successful recording artist," Cowell speculated on the motivations of the amateur celebrity singers participating.

As for the judges, Cowell said Little Richard was picked for his flair.

"I wanted to put someone on the show I'd be interested in watching," Cowell said. "I think it will be an interesting dynamic between him and David because David is very serious and Little Richard is a little more unpredictable."

Foster was the first judge selected, and Cowell singled him out as the leader of the judging panel "because he genuinely knows what he's talking about."

One reporter wanted to know who the voice of experience is on "Idol."

"Me," Cowell said, mock aghast at what he saw as the obvious answer. "Why did you ask?"