Wynonna On Larry King, Promotes "Nashville Star"

.. and Nashville news hound Neal Naislop was busily taking notes:

Wynonna Judd told Larry King on CNN this weekend that she’s looking forward to mentoring the contestants on “Nashville Star” this season. “I'm able to be sort of the mentor position. I'm able to tell them what not to do. I'm there to encourage. I'm there to sort of support them as they -- it's an amazing process. These kids have come from all over. They're living in Opryland Hotel on $15, $20 a day, you know, for food and they are -- their whole families are there and it's pretty awesome. It's the American dream,” Wynonna explains.

WY adds, “I feel like after all these years it's time for me to give back. I love to be a part of like I said the process. I love watching someone getting ready for the show and they walk out on stage. I can see how nervous they are. I see myself in every single one of them because they all have such a story. And the thing about “Nashville Star” that's so unique is the relationship in country music between the listener and the fan and I'm going to go to hometowns and meet families and I'm there to watch this miracle happen. I was intrigued by it (Nashville Star) because I like to take chances and you're a host with the most. I wanted to try it.”

ABOUT HER NASHVILLE STAR CO-HOST, COWBOY TROY, Wynonna told Larry King he has a lot to offer country music. “Yes, he's got a lot to offer country music because we are in a stage of mind these days where sort of anything goes. I mean you've got your traditionalists. You've got people like me who color outside the lines. And then all of a sudden here comes Cowboy Troy. We couldn't be any more different but he loves me and I love him and the chemistry is really good so it works.” Cowboy Troy told King, getting the gig with Wy happened pretty quickly.

“I mean, management asked me if I would be interested in co-hosting "Nashville Star" with Wynonna. I said ‘of course,’ that's a simple question. And they said OK, we will go back and speak with the folks at the network. And that's about as quickly as it came about for me,” said Troy. Wynonna said that Cowboy Troy’s Muzik Mafia buddy, Two Foot Fred, will also be on the show.

And she summed up what she thinks is a good pairing with Troy saying, “We've got, you know, this big, beautiful black spirit personality, and then we've got me. I mean, it couldn't be any more crazy. So I love it, though. It's a good combination.”

NASHVILLE STAR airs tonight 10pmET/9ct on USA NETWORK.