Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Tuesday news: Top Five bound, and a little meditation...

Thanks so much, Happy! Bucky Covington signs an autograph for a fan during last Sunday's WSOC listener cruise; photo by the very kind Happydays. Be sure to check out her beautiful concert gallery at Photobucket. Thanks, Happydays! Bucky's debut CD is in stores now, and his music video is available for online viewing at CMT.com and Yahoo Music. You can buy Bucky's album at Amazon, Best Buy , iTunes, WalMart Music and Target, hear the full version of his single "A Different World" at CMT and GAC, or enjoy samples of songs from the CD at Bucky's official MySpace. An autographed copy of Bucky Covington can be ordered while supplies last at his official site or via his official fan club.

First things first--Bucky's video for "A Different World" will face another challenge on tomorrow's CMT Power Picks (it'll be the fifth face-off of the show), and it's also listed as one of the final-round contenders on Friday's program. Keep those mouse-clicking fingers limber, and check back! In other voting news, the New Music Playoffs online polls are still in progress (Bucky's in the "undefeated" round posted at the bottom of the voting page) and GAC's Top Twenty Country Countdown is always open for business...

Looking for a bit of photographic delight? Be sure to check out Sunscreen's latest updates at the Bucky Truck Stop at Rawkhands--a definite must-visit today.

If you've ever enjoyed that feeling of sweet, precarious suspense while waiting for something very good to happen, you must really be enjoying watching Bucky Covington's chart progress these days! "A Different World", his big hit debut single, (yes, I do love typing that, thank you) starts Tuesday off at #6 again today on both the Mediabase weighted and Top 500 charts, with a nice plump bullet and an extremely good lookin' bit of real estate straight ahead...

Ordinarily, this is where I'd post the usual reminder to keep requesting "A Different World" at your favorite local country station, but I think everyone knows that song by heart--and for the most part, I realize I'm preaching to the choir. So instead, let's talk a little bit about why Bucky's soon-to-be Top Five hit means so much to us...

Click to visit the Bucky Covington fan thread at AmericanIdol.com. When most of us became Bucky Covington fans (that would be way back in the ancient days--early 2006), there was a lot of uncertainty--and hope--surrounding this very talented singer with the aimiably raspy Southern voice and the sweet but clearly determined presence. We stayed up and voted and helped get him on the American Idol tour; we kept voting and he stuck around long enough to give the country a glimpse of what we knew he was capable of from the first note we heard. Not all the critics were kind, but that didn't matter to us. (And some of them have come around quite nicely since!) We knew what we wanted, and it happened to be the same thing that Bucky was working on and picturing so hard and so fiercely all these years, before most of us even knew his name. We wanted him to start a long, solid, successful career, and we knew the first step would be a fantastic album and a big hit single. And we got it.

How big a hit? That's a question that illustrates how far things have come since those very early days. It's not as simple as "voting for Contestant Two" any more--and thank heaven for that. In the rather speedy transition from "contestant" to "up and coming country star", a lot of new and exciting elements are contributing to Bucky's chart triumphs. There are people calling up stations to request "A Different World" who never watched Bucky on Idol, never visited a fan website, and couldn't pick his photo out of a stack of 8x10 glossies. They're doing what we do, just because they heard a fantastic song, sung by a wonderfully distinctive voice. And in the end, that's what it comes down to--the music, and Bucky's authentic, raw, beautiful talent.

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Naturally, for those of us who call ourselves "devoted fans", there's a bit of extra dimension to Bucky's blossoming success. "Fan" is a label that sometimes leads to a bit of raised-eyebrow derision, but it needn't be. It can be a badge of honor, too. What do you call someone who sees another's dream, recognizes another's potential, and takes the time out from his or her busy life to help that person make the dream a solid, tangible thing? Sure, there is plenty in it for us--decades of awesome albums and hit singles down the road, and the ineffable joy of cheering for our favorite singer when he comes to town, takes the stage and rocks the house.


Thanks,  Minnie! Click image to visit Minnie's gallery of photos from the Turlock, CA concert.(Photo by the very kind Minnie; click image to visit her gallery.)

But there's still and always the sheer delight of seeing a beautiful notion become a living reality, and that's something that can't be discounted. Bucky and his fans are holding that Top Five dream in our hearts, and we're doing all we can to make it real--Bucky, Rocky, Don, Hans and Shaun are busy on the road, and we are busy on the phones and in the email windows (and sometimes, if we're very fortunate, in the seats at some fun festival or concert hall, screaming and dancing like wild.) It all adds up, and when we log on and see Bucky's name beside that blue #5, it is going to feel like absolute heaven.

And of course, it never ends. By now we've learned, after the happy dances at #40, #20, and #10, that there's always a new and dazzling milestone just ahead. We'll be clicking, calling and voting for the duration, y'all, but there's a lovely flipside to that. Bucky's spoken so often of "karma" and the Golden Rule that I hope you'll forgive me for speaking of it again, as well. We're not all in show business, but all of us--every single person reading these words--has some wild, improbable, deeply treasured dream living inside of us.

Bucky Covington has attracted some of the coolest, sweetest, most talented and generous people I have ever met as fans, and there's no doubt in my mind that you have fans, too--people around you, near and far, who are holding your dreams in their hearts and are willing to do what it takes to help make your dream a reality. As you're requesting and voting today, have fun, appreciate your fans, and keep in mind that it's all part of a beautiful cycle. To be on both sides of that "dream come true" experience is to live life at its fullest, and as a fan of yours, I'm wishing that and more for you, too.

Sometimes a Top Five hit is more than just a Top Five hit, y'all. Get that confetti ready!

See you soon--Winnie

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:10 AM

    Ok..(wipes tear), that was so beautiful, Winnie, and so true. Thank you for that pouring of your soul that so matches how I exactly feel about all of this wonderfulness that is the Bucky Journey.

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  2. Awww, you're very kind, Buckyflowers, and thanks! It's a beautiful journey indeed, and the awesome people on it are what make it so fascinating. So thank you for everything!

    (I've been a music fan all my life, but this really has been something special in ways I can't put into words--and heaven knows I can use a lot of words up in a day. ;) Anyone else feel the same way?)

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  3. Anonymous11:54 AM

    Can reading be a high caloric intake activity? heehee

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  4. Anonymous12:31 PM

    So that banner from aircheck says top10 album sales. Does that mean he is in the top 10 this week?? Bucky is still missing from HDD and the #50 on there has between 5-6k. Thats not alot. Allaccess has Bucky at a +11 for sales this week. That should give him sales of around 9,655. That would be nice to see a climb in sales.

    Winnie,
    Your words were very beautiful, And I know that is how most of us Bucaneers feel.
    I come across alot of people saying "I don't know what it is about Bucky" (In a good way) I have never before supported an artist before. I just listen to the music. And on with my life. Then along comes Bucky and everything changed. I spend all my time on the computer looking for Bucky news, pics, videos.
    Bucky has that something special (what you say) I don't know??? But hes got it. Bucky makes my heart skip a beat when I see pics or videos of him. He LOVES his fans, He LOVES singing his music. And I LOVE Bucky for staying true to himself and not letting his success get the best of him.
    (I still don't know what it is about Bucky) But 1 day I might figure it out!!

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  5. Anon 11:54--hey! I never said I wasn't a softie... :)

    Hi, Anon 12:31, and thanks! I am curious as to how this week's CD sales will go, too...from the looks of things, it's shaping up to be a slow selling week all around. I'm guessing that line in the ad refers to his peak in April (and perhaps to the flirting with the Top Ten the album's done since then.)

    And thanks for your kind compliment--I think your words are very beautiful, too! There is definitely something special (and very fun!) going on here. Bucky and his fans are really radiating joy these days... :)

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  6. Anonymous1:59 PM

    I am right there with you Winnie.I didn't know Bucky before Idol.When I heard him sing I knew right away I was behind him 100%.Why he just made me feel good.Now he is on his way . I can't wait to see how it all turns out for him. Becky

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  7. Hi, Becky! Thanks, and I totally agree--the best is yet to come. I think we have a lot of good times beautiful music to look forward to... :)

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  8. Anonymous4:40 PM

    Beautiful Winnie! You have me as YOUR fan for sure :) This journey we have taken with Bucky is just amazing and I feel very blessed to be able to help him out (and help US out with those years of cds!)

    Love ya!

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  9. Anonymous4:54 PM

    Winnie, Winnie, Winnie! You have done it again! Written a wonderful piece about Bucky and why we love him. I LOVE requesting and voting for him and go to great length to mention him to everyone I know which has given me the nickname of "The Bucky girl" when someone is describing me to another person! What a compliment I say!

    Kgator

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  10. Anonymous7:23 PM

    Thanks to Buckys Top Wordsmith for yet another outstanding blog entry!

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  11. Anonymous9:00 PM

    What a great post Winnie!! Your words are so beautiful!!

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  12. Dbrosch, kgator, Bunny and icyfire11, thank you so much! It has a been a joyful and sometimes wild (in a good way :) adventure, seeing Bucky Covington become a genuine rising country star. And just think, the best is yet to come...

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