4/12 Results: "Stickin' by our Real Good Man"

(Screencap by KathyG85--be sure to visit her beautiful gallery.)

By now, you've already heard the news. I'll spare you the usual recap--it was a long and drawn out one-hour show, with a few bright spots and a lot of filler, nonsense and general weirdness--and get right down to the heart of the matter, which is Bucky Covington, and us, and where we all go from here.

Perhaps the most achingly bittersweet part of tonight's events was the way Bucky took it in stride. It only underscored what we--and the show--would be missing when he faced the situation with a shrug and a smile and a soft "Well, somebody had to go." Bucky gave this thing his all, and he gave it his all his way, resulting in some of the most memorable performances in Idol history. If there was ever any doubt that Bucky Covington is exactly who he seems to be, that doubt is long gone now.

But is Bucky long gone? Not a chance, y'all. Not a chance.

Yes, I know. Many of us here are Idol veterans, and we've seen it happen before--some lovely, charming performer finishes eighth, or seventh, or tenth, and stands next to Ryan, shouting "you haven't seen the last of me, America!", then promptly disappears for good. But Bucky Covington is something entirely different, I think. Bucky was and is something too discernably real for Idol--a true, organically-grown singer/songwriter with a raspy, rootsy voice and a beautifully-honed Southern rock sensibility. Never in a million years would most of us have thought that someone so utterly genuine would get so far on this season of Idol, where--to be frank--being genuine seems to be virtually a liability.

Yet, there he was, and there we were, and some of us who wouldn't ordinarily touch American Idol with a ten-foot pole were dialing our fingers off every Tuesday night, and crossing those raw fingers every Wednesday. In a strange way, we have Idol to thank for bringing us someone who wasn't quite the perfect fit for the show--but who was decidedly a perfect fit for us, his new and loyal fans.

So where's Bucky going, and where are we going with him?

It's true that we won't have our Tuesday and Wednesday night dates with Bucky, and we'll miss that terribly. Let's face it, he was an absolute joy to have on our TV sets twice a week. But there's no doubt in my mind that there's some heavy rotation on CMT and/or MTV in Bucky's future, and there's the summer tour to look forward to. (Something tells me Bucky's going to absolutely run away with the live Idols show this year. Just a hunch.)

We're going to be here for him, plain and simple. He's got the voice, the talent and the charm--and now he's got the audience, too-- a nationwide audience united in our desire for his first CD. We can't vote for him with our phones any more, but we can sure vote with our feet and our wallets. Yep, this is the one time when a departing Idol didn't even have to say it--but I will. You haven't seen the last of Bucky, America.

This blog is still open for business. More news as it happens...

(If you'd like to send Bucky some love, you can leave a message on the fan blog at Bucky Covington Online--the site is sponsored by his family and friends.)