Big & Rich's John Rich is set to join the panel of judges when NBC begins airing season six of "Nashville Star" on June 9. Billy Ray Cyrus has already signed on to host the talent competition, which aired its previous five seasons on the USA Network.

Big & Rich have been supportive of "Nashville Star" for some time. The duo made an appearance on an episode in April 2005, played "Comin' To Your City" when season four kicked off in March 2006, and returned at least twice in May 2007, when their buddy Cowboy Troy served as a co-host of the show.

John will likely be a vocal proponent for the genre during "Nashville Star"'s summer run. Last week, he got an ovation during a panel at the Country Radio Seminar, saying, "Country music is an art form. It's not something you can do just because you're famous for doing something else."

Competition for the show is already underway. It started Feb. 9 and moves to Washington, D.C., on Saturday and Sunday. Casting continues March 18-19 in Austin and comes to a conclusion March 21-22 in Nashville.