Quick update, 2/5

A song and a smile; by request, Bucky Covington on stage in New Jersey, 7/06, photo by the very talented DeniseBernadette. You can pre-order Bucky's debut CD at Amazon, Best Buy and Target, hear the full version of his single "A Different World" at CMT, or enjoy samples of four songs from the CD at Bucky's official MySpace. Thanks for writing!

So close! Bucky's debut single is in the process of crossing all-important that Top 40 line--and our requests are going to play a big role in getting it there. If you haven't requested "A Different World" at your local and/or favorite online stations before, this week is the perfect time to start.

Scroll down to the "everything you always wanted to know" post to find out how and why your calls and emails are vital--and then pick up the phone or open up that email program and politely let your favorite DJ know you'd like to hear Bucky coming through your speakers. (Remember that wonderful rush when Bucky made the Top 10--and the Idol tour!--about a year ago? Imagine how good it'll feel to hear Kix Brooks announcing Bucky's first spin on American Country Countdown soon...)

As a matter of fact, now's probably a good time to check out those syndicated Top 40 radio show sites again; American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks and CMT's Country Countdown USA are chart and airplay based (so no requests, except for oldies dedications), and "A Different World" will be part of both broadcasts with our help. There's a longer post about country radio's big Top 40 countdowns here.

Kathy at Team Covington has a very timely countdown-related post this morning--it's a look at how both the CMT and the GAC Top Twenty shows work, and it's a must-read as Bucky's music video is about to make its debut in a couple of weeks or so. Thanks, Kathy!

Speaking of Bucky's much-anticipated music video--we've got our fingers crossed that some new "preview" still photos or info might pop up online this week. Stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed, too...

Bucky's promo tour for "A Different World" resumes tomorrow; he'll be heard on the Young and Elder show on Kix106 in Memphis bright and early Tuesday morning, and that afternoon, he'll be on the air at KSSN 96 in Little Rock, according to his official website. (We don't have exact times for the interviews, but we'll keep an ear out for more details as the day goes on.)

And to wrap things up for now, a brief and beautifully positive print-only (for now) review from the Dallas Morning News was shared by a gracious Taylor Hicks fan at the Fox boards; here's what their music critic had to say:

"At last, a worthy country song from an American Idol finalist. Bucky Covington's first single, 'A Different World,' is an old-school charmer about simpler times. His relaxed nasal twang floats over the cut's organic production by Sawyer Brown's Mark Miller. Mr. Covington's debut arrives April 17."

Big thanks to the kind poster who shared the great news! And if you'd like to hear that old-school charmer on WKML's "Top 5 at 6", be sure to zap them an email at country@wkml.com and request Bucky today.

(Edited to add a link to Ken Barnes' review of Bucky's single in this morning's Idol Chatter blog at USA Today.com . And yes, that's me speaking my somewhat over-caffeinated mind in the comments section--I couldn't resist. More soon!)