Countin' down the hours...

By request, the full-length version of Bucky Covington's CD cover portrait, taken at the Golden Oak Ranch in California. Bucky's new music video is now available for online viewing at CMT.com and Yahoo Music. 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.

A little more pre-Opry buzz...

Kathy at Team Covington has Friday's full lineup listed; looks like Bucky will take the stage a little after 8:30 p.m. (She's also got some great info about the WSM live Opry broadcasts and archive--so be sure to stop over there soon!)

Tomorrow night will be Bucky's first Grand Ole Opry appearance--and for many of us, it'll be our first Opry visit. What should we expect? Here are a few fun facts, via the Opry's website...

You'll have to scroll way down to get to the "dress code" question, but it's worth the search. Here's what the Opry's Q&A Lady has to say about Opry fashion, on stage and in the audience:

"Almost anything goes at the Opry. Just as you’ll see everything on stage from Loretta Lynn’s beautiful long gowns to Alan Jackson’s torn Wranglers, you’ll see everything in the audience from business suits to cowgirl hats with blinking lights. Sometimes I’m amazed when I look out at all the styles I see . . . and often times that’s just in one pew!"

She goes on to add:

"...this ole gal says wear what works for you, then sit back and enjoy the Opry fashion parade both on stage and in the audience. Trust me, some nights, that alone is worth the price of admission! And just remember, at the Opry we do have one dress code: you have to wear something."

Will do! And the answer to another very basic question can be found there, too. How long does the show last? " The Friday and Saturday Opry shows are the best way you can spend two and a half hours in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Tuesday Night Opry runs two hours. The Tuesday show is a little different in that it features a few less artists (8, to be exact) each performing 15 minutes or so of material." (Could be interesting to see Bucky there on a Tuesday night...)

And of course, audience members are encouraged to "rush the stage" for photos. (Actually, there's a pretty orderly photo line, but doesn't the whole rushing bit sound like fun?) Those who've been reading this blog a while--and who've seen my unintentionally watercolor-like concert photos--will be pleased to know that many other Bucky Covington fans will be toting cameras tomorrow evening...

And if you're going to be in Nashville early on Friday and you'd like to have some fun promoting Bucky, contact Honeygirl at honeygirl1427@gmail.com; Lyric Street is providing some very cool promo postcards for Bucky's upcoming CD, and she's looking for a few good fans to distribute them before the show.

There's lots of information at the Opry's site; the FAQ is a fine place to start, but be sure to browse the whole site for everything from the history of the circle that Bucky's boots will stand upon on Friday, to the opportunity to win some fun footwear from a very delightful previous owner...

In other news, if you havent been to the four-track preview of Bucky's upcoming album in a little while, check it out now--there's a newly added "Downloads" link. Answer a few survey questions, and you'll be taken to a hidden page with some great-looking official wallpapers and AIM buddy icons.

Bucky's official tour page lists an appearance today at the WMBX "Change Bandit" Party in Pensacola, Florida--Bucky himself said in his USA Today diary that "any time you get to go to Florida, it's a good thing," but we'll have to wait until next week to find out more about why he feels that way...

We'll close with the Wednesday p.m. Mediabase stats--if 33 is your favorite number, you're in luck again, on both the Top 500 and the weighted charts. If your lucky number's a little lower, a request at your local country station, a vote at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and an email to country@wkml.com for Bucky on WKML's "Top 5 at 6" might move things along nicely.

More soon!