Extremely quick update...

Bucky's brand new promo photo--quite nice, isn't it?

Newsflash: Honeygirl found this article from the Knox News, dated 11/20--looks like the 12/6 GAC Country Christmas concert in Knoxville will be filmed, and the show will be broadcast on GAC at 9 p.m. on 12/16. If you're lucky enough to have GAC in your cable lineup, congratulations! More details coming soon, and thanks again to Honeygirl.

The news is out! Bucky's addition to the tour is hitting the press; hop to MJ's Big Blog for an excellent overview, along with some friendly comments. (Paula was right; people love you, Bucky!) And here's an excerpt from this morning's Southeast Missourian article about the GAC Country Christmas Tour, which stops there 12/4:

Covington appeared earlier this year on "Idol," blending country and Southern rock in his performances. He will join country newcomers Julie Roberts, Blue County and Steve Azar along with established act Deana Carter on the tour, which was put together by the country music cable channel Great American Country. Christmas tour shows are split in half with singers performing their own songs in the first half and singing a Christmas repertoire during the second part of the show.

Show Me Center marketing director Shannon Buford said having Covington on the tour could help bring in more fans who wouldn't have paid to see a show loaded with artists who are only known as country singers. He hopes the low ticket price of $25 will help.

"I think that you're going to see Bucky draw a lot of those folks that have been so involved with 'American Idol,'" Buford said. "Viewers start to get close to them, and they can pick them out of a crowd in no time flat."

Unlike Jewell, though, Covington has no hits on country radio. Katy Carson, a DJ with country station K103 FM, said she doesn't know if Covington's presence will increase ticket sales since he's not on country radio.

But Carson, a self-professed "Idol" fan, agrees that the addition of Covington might help the concert tap the large population of "Idol" fans in the area. "I think it's cool to see people on TV and then see them in concert," she said.

The concert format sounds like fun--our guess is that the first part will include "Different World", as well as at least one of those country tunes Bucky wanted to sing during the Idol tour, which the tour producers nixed. (Have I mentioned before how pleased I am about Bucky's current creative freedom?) Not sure what Bucky's Christmas-song choices will be, but there are some great suggestions rolling in at the Fox boards.

As for Bucky's presence on country radio, we're hoping that he gets to do some of those funny, witty radio interviews while he's traveling with this show, and that he gets to speak directly to the country audience as well as to the Idol and pop/rock listeners that heard him during the summer tour. Stay tuned; we'll keep an ear out for any broadcast news. (And if they could play a bit of his new single, so much the better...)

Looks like I've started my Christmas wish list early, doesn't it?

(Edited to add--the contest is not on their official site yet, but a local Bucky fan reports that WIVK in Knoxville is giving away free tickets to the GAC show all this week--listen in, and good luck!)

More later--come back soon...