Third time's a charm, and another fond farewell...

I always knew that I'd be reopening Buckymania on borrowed time. The project that took me away from blogging last year ended with a (literal, label) drop; another, slated for the fall, was rescheduled, then shelved. Fortunately for my recession-dented finances--but unfortunately for any semblance of free time--the busy project I've been hired for this spring is going full speed ahead. In fact, it's started early; it was moved up from April to this month. Once again, I'm in a position where I have to face the fact that there's no way on earth I'll be able to give Buckymania the attention and care it deserves and still be able to do right by my new employers.

However, if anything, Bucky Covington's official--and unofficial--online team is busier than ever! Since we last said goodbye, the numbers at Bucky's Twitter, Facebook and MySpace have been steadily growing, enjoying news and bulletins straight from the source. (If you haven't friended and/or followed Bucky yet, do it now and hang on tight--you're in for a lot of fun!) BuckyCovington.com is still the #1 stop for the latest on Bucky's career, with a fan club full of dedicated, passionate supporters.


And of course, the grassroots graciousness that has always been a part of Bucky's unofficial fan-based network endures--from Buckytown, USA, to Buck Wild for Bucky Covington, to It's Good To Be Us, Bucky Fan Pics, Brothers Covington, the Yahoo Street Team, the MySpace Fans and MySpace Street Team, and many, many more. Since we first met Bucky in 2006, so many terrific people have taken time out of their busy days to write, vote, request, start sites, greet new listeners, share news about concerts, TV appearances and radio interviews! Bucky is truly blessed when it comes to an awesome audience, and our numbers can only increase as time goes on...

Steve Cook, Bucky Covington and Ducky Medlock on stage in Liberal, Kansas; photo by our generous friend Judy Lang. Thanks so much!

Which leads us straight into the future--where are we headed, and what's next? Now that I'm closing up shop here, I'll be a little blunter than usual and say that yep, the fall and winter of 2009 were a bit harsh. Bucky put out two excellent singles that should have done far better at radio than they did, and the postponement of the release of his second album I'm Alright was disappointing, to say the least. However (you knew this was coming, didn't you?) I firmly believe that the big picture is as bright and beautiful as it's ever been.


Bucky Covington on stage at his fan club party concert, 2009; photo by the very kind Buckaholic.

Bucky Covington is a talented, charismatic and hard-working performer with one of the most beautiful, distinctive, honest country voices ever. Recession or not, industry turbulence or none, good music endures, y'all. When someone can get up on a stage and make you laugh, rock, smile, dance or shed a tear the way that Bucky does, you know you're in the presence of something genuinely lasting. I may not be blogging about Bucky's career any longer, but I'll be listening to Bucky's music, at concerts and on my headphones, for years and years to come.

I guess the only thing more awkward than saying goodbye is saying goodbye twice--but you deserve the heartiest "thank you" in the world, even if it's an encore! It's been such an honor and a privilege to come to this space with you, to watch Bucky's musical journey begin, and to enjoy all the photos, videos, news, encouragement and fun you've shared with us all. Thanks to you; to Bucky's excellent band, friends, loved ones and his very gracious family; to Lyric Street, MSN and O-Seven; to all the media folk and fellow bloggers and radio station people who've kindly given their time and support; to the stellar songwriters who've blessed Bucky with big hits, killer album tracks and hits-in-the-making; and to Bucky Covington for all the past, present and future musical delights, good times and wild, rockin' shows. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Once again, I'll see you on the request lines, at the polls, and on the road. God bless--Winnie

(PS--Let's stay in touch! My email is BuckymaniaBlog (at) Yahoo (dot) com and my personal Twitter's right here--it's protected for now, but zap me a request and we can follow each other. Take care, everybody!)

One more video as we say goodbye; Bucky Covington, Rocky Covington, and his excellent band performed "Seven Spanish Angels" for the troops and their families during Bucky's USO tour.
Video by tbrouns at YouTube--thanks again!

Tuesday news: Bucky Covington's on the road again, and a review from Higher Rock...

Rocky Covington (at left) and Bucky Covington delighted the crowd at the LHS Country Showdown last week in Kansas; many thanks to Judy Lang for sharing this terrific concert shot. Click the image to visit Bucky's official site.

Thanks to an extremely kind elf for passing some great news along; Bucky Covington (along with his upcoming second album) was the subject of some high praise at HigherRock.com, an inspirational site covering music, popular culture and more. Here's an excerpt:

On the new CD he’s got a full range of personality and expression. From the soulful sounds of "Hold A Woman" and a cover of the Commodores "Sail On" to the southern rock tempo of "I Always Said You’d Be Back" to "Mexicoma" with it’s South-of the Border feel this CD will not leave you with a void. When speaking of the song "Evel Knievel", a guitar rocking song, he says, "I couldn’t pass up cutting a song with that title".

Bucky’s nod to traditional country music could be heard in "Giants" which showcases the gratitude this generations singers feel towards greats such as Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Tammy Wynette, to name a few. Says Bucky, "going into my second album, I think it’s something I definitely understand and appreciate even more. You’ve got to pay heed to those who came before you".

Needless to say, we can't wait to hear the whole of I'm Alright, due in stores this fall. The entire article is here--enjoy! Our gracious elf also wanted to make sure that we shared this link to Music City News' coverage of the recent Guitar Smash at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville, as well as a terrific Fisher's ATV World video from back in May that you might have missed. Huge thanks to her for sharing--we love elves around here!

We also love Bucky's "Gotta Be Somebody" video, which is still on the ballot at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown--as long as it's there, we'll be voting for it at full speed. (Feel free to join in by clicking that button on the left and having your say...ahem.) The last news we heard about Bucky's next single is that the label is considering a March release, presumably to make for a summertime hit. Not sure which song they're going with--lots of good stuff on the new CD to choose from!--but it'll be fun to find out in a few weeks.

In the meantime, the live scene is still in winter mode--Bucky and his band's next shows are happening in Atlanta, where they'll rock the house at Wild Bill's on Saturday, February 6th (tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster now) and in Birmingham, where Bucky and The Band Perry are the stars of 102 Five the Bull's St Jude's benefit concert at WorkPlay on February 9th (tickets on sale now at the WorkPlay box office).

We'll be back with more news--and a special announcement--later today. See you soon!

Live UStream from tonight's backstage festivities...

Jimmy Wayne is sponsoring a live USTREAM (click here) from backstage before tonight's Country 92.3 Concert For Kids St Jude's benefit in Hartford, CT, starring Bucky Covington, Joe Nichols,Williams Riley, Jessica Harp, and Blaine Larsen. (Update--the live stream is now showing the actual show--if you're reading this later, archive videos are available at that link. Enjoy!--W)

It's Monday! Meet me at Buckytown USA...

We're in the middle of a cold snap in much of the country this week--but spring and summer are coming! Here's a fun souvenir from last year's fair and festival season; Jeff Cease, Rocky Covington and Bucky Covington rockin' the crowd at the Indiana State Fair. Thanks to the talented Judy Lang for sharing the sunshine.

Fran and Renee will help you start your week off right at Buckytown USA today--they've got terrific concert shots by Pizzi and Judy Lang, the latest Bucky Covington news, and a fantastic sidebar full of live show info and links. See you there! We'll be back here with more news later today--in the meantime, feel free to put in a good word for Bucky at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and at your local country station, too. (You knew that was coming, didn't you?) More very soon!

Bucky Covington, "Hold a Woman" (live video, 1/1/2010) and a quick concert sweep...

The weather outside may be frightful (and it definitely caused a few concert cancellations this weekend...sigh), but Bucky Covington and his band performed an absolutely delightful version of one of his future hits, "Hold a Woman", this past New Year's Eve. Thanks to our generous friend Buckywild08 for sharing this one at YouTube.

Bucky Covington's next official show is a sell-out--congratulations to all who got a ticket for tomorrow's Country 92.3 Concert For Kids St Jude's benefit in Hartford, CT. Have fun! Saturday, February 6th, catch Bucky and company at Wild Bill's in Atlanta; tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster now. Bucky and The Band Perry will be the stars of 102 Five the Bull's St. Jude's benefit show at WorkPlay in Birmingham, AL on February 9th; tickets ($20) are on sale now at the WorkPlay box office.

A warm memory from a past New England show; Bucky Covington on stage in Hanover, MD, 2007. Thanks to our good friend Pizzi for this one! (Gotta love the horn placement...)

But wait, we've got more--another St. Jude's benefit show popped up, and it's a hot one. Bucky, headliner Rodney Atkins, Steel Magnolia and Easton Corbin will grace the stage of the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, MA, for the KIX 97.9 Concert for Kids on Friday, March 12th. Click here for ticket information, and have a great time!

Bucky's rockin' "Gotta Be Somebody" video is always a great time--vote for it at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown, and ask for him at your local country station. More very soon!

And another mini-hiatus begins...

As you might have guessed, it's been a crazy week behind the scenes here at Buckymania! We'll be back tonight with a full post--for official, straight-from-the-source news and updates on Bucky Covington, be sure to bookmark his official Twitter, his MySpace and BuckyCovington.com. See you later this evening!