Could Music Icon Mottola Replace Cowell On Idol ?

After molding the careers of Mariah Carey and even 'Idol' judge Kara Dioguardi, music veteran Tommy Mottola might just be the perfect fit for American Idol's soon to be vacant seat.

While names like Howard Stern, Elton John and Sean 'Diddy' Combs have been thrown around as potential replacements for Simon Cowell, who will exit the 'Idol' set for 'The X Factor' after this season, Former Sony executive Chris Apostle who served as Tommy Mottola's right hand man at Sony for many years and still works closely with him today says Mottola is in the running to replace Simon Cowell on American Idol.

"We talk about it. I'll keep that discussion private, but I think he'd be a tremendous fit. Are you kidding me? And first thing, I think it'd be kind of funny if you have Tommy Motolla who was Randy Jackson's boss for a long time and was very instrumental in Kara Dioguardi developing her songwriting career as part of that panel," Apostle said while in Miami for Premio Lo Nuestro recently. "The thing that people don't seem to know about, they don't talk about enough is the hit records that he makes, how he makes them, how smart he is, how much he knows about performers, songs, musicians, etc. That goes back decades. I think he'd be perfect."

While Apostle believes Mottola is a "pleasant man to be around," he is no push over when it comes to music.

"He's demanding. Demands perfection," Apostle tells Chris Yandek of CY Interview. "I think he'd be terrific. I think it would be funny too because Randy also played base with Mariah Carey..."

At this point it is unclear just who might be in the running for American Idol's perhaps, most coveted seat.

Apostle however, believes Mottola is the perfect fit.

"If you put Tommy Mottola there it be a brilliant move, probably the only executive that was really, truly in the trenches every day...Personally I think he's the best fit."

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