2008: It's Good to Be Us!

Yep, it's an entirely predictable phrase to wrap up a delightfully unpredictable year--a year that began with a bang and a huge surprise. (Did we know on 12/31/06 that we were just hours away from learning the name of Bucky Covington's much speculated-about record label?) So much has happened in the twelve months since that it would take the whole page to cover it all; here are a few highlights from the long, sweet trip we all took with Bucky Covington in 2007:

January: Bucky Covington, Lyric Street recording artist...

The first big news of 2007 came while the year was only a few hours old, when this casual but meaningful mention of Bucky's major-label signing appeared in the online edition of the Nashville Business Journal. Word of Bucky's addition to the Lyric Street Records roster got around fast--everyone from Ken Barnes at USAToday.com to E!, CMT News and GAC shared the story. Bucky's first single, "A Different World", wasn't officially released to radio until January 16th, but by the 2nd, it had made its FM debut on Fayetteville's WKML; where it remained #1 on their nightly countdown for days on end.

Bucky's fans became very familiar with phrases like "Pick it or Flick It", "Test Track" and "Song Showdown"--no matter what they were called, fans listening locally and online were there to lend a hand with votes and calls for "A Different World". As the song conquered the radio challenges and songfights, it began to turn up on more and more playlists--and by the time it was officially released on the 16th, it was the "Hot Shot Debut" for the week at Radio & Records, where it entered the chart at #57.

The very next day, another big announcement hit the wires--Bucky Covington's Grand Ole Opry debut was set for March 9th, and a ticket stampede began...

Souvenirs: Bucky's radio tour in support of his single meant a lot of delightful interviews in January of 2007; this post contains a list of links to some of his greatest (and funniest!) chats with FM's brightest lights. This sweet album of Radiothon photos by Happydays captures the feeling of the New Year beautifully--Bucky's radio tour made a stop in Asheville to raise funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation with 99.9 Kiss Country FM, and the beautiful smiles on his proud grandparents' faces say it all. Enjoy!

February: Radio days and TV nights...

Bucky Covington's February was a whirlwind of media appearances--we did our best to keep up between dialing our fingers off for "A Different World", and luckily for us, the various radio stations and TV networks made it easy to follow along. Radio photo galleries from KSSN in Little Rock and KJ97 in San Antonio capture the spirit of that wintry trip around the country, and we learned to carve out space in the mornings for a cup of coffee, an audio stream from far away, and a laugh with Bucky and the DJ of the day.



February also brought us the debut of the nostalgic, sunlit video for "A Different World". It first hit cable TV on the 13th, when GAC quietly slipped it into the evening lineup; the splashier CMT premiere followed the next day on Top 20 Countdown. Neil Haislop wrote a terrific article about Bucky's video shoot for GAC.com, and the photos that accompanied it quickly became fan favorites.

Bucky also generated a big buzz at the end of the month with news of his upcoming showcase during Country Radio Seminar week in Nashville...

Souvenirs: This video of Bucky's Fox 13 Memphis interview from February is guaranteed to leave you with a smile, and it looks like Bucky's Armadillo Palace videos are still up and running in the KILT video vault.

March: CRS, the Grand Ole Opry and the Bucky Diaries...

Bucky's CRS showcase was quite the event--it got some positive coverage at About.com, and a big thumbs up from the fans who were there for this open-to-the-public show. "A Different World" was enjoying a big thumbs-up, too-- it debuted at #1 on CMT Pure Country's video playlist, and the song gracefully continued its upward climb to Top 30 territory.

The Bucky Diaries, an easygoing and enjoyable journal of Bucky's road to his April 17th album debut, made their first appearance at USAToday.com's Idol Chatter blog, to much applause.

Bucky Covington on the Grand Ole Opry stage, March 9th; photo courtesy of the very kind Honeygirl. Thanks again! (You can enjoy more of her great shots here.)

But by far, this biggest event of the month was Bucky's very first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on March 9th-- many of Bucky's fans made a trip to Nashville for the big day, and GAC captured the occasion with an article and an exclusive photo gallery.

Souvenirs: Bucky's long-awaited interview with Mrs. Jones is a hoot, and this March 23rd video interview from Fox 13 in Tampa Bay feauring bits of his acoustic performance for WYQK listeners is a real treat for Bucky's fans--and Rocky Covington's fans, too. (Look closely at that photo he's autographing... is that a familiar friendly face?)

April: Number One, baby!

Billboard said it all, y'all:

"American Idol" season five eighth- place finalist Bucky Coving- ton's self-titled Lyric Street debut starts at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Top Country Albums with 61,000 units. On the latter chart, it's the biggest start by a new male artist since Billy Ray Cyrus' "Some Gave All" debuted with 90,000 in 1992.

After all the waiting, the hoping and the anticipation, Bucky Covington, the CD, was finally in our hands--and in a lot of hands--in April. And while that was the biggest event ever, there was plenty more to celebrate that month--Bucky returned to the Grand Ole Opry (this time, televised) on April 7th, and began a whirlwind media blitz the next week that included a slightly hoarse but very cool live mini concert on Jimmy Kimmel Live. In a "whoa" moment, Entertainment Weekly music reviewer Mandy Bierly graciously posted a "public apology" to Bucky at EW's PopWatch blog before giving his album a positive review in print and on the magazine's site; it was the first of many kudos for his rock-solid debut.

A Bucky Covington billboard, courtesy of my4frogs--thanks again to Sherry for sharing these classic photos!

A fantastic month ended with a milestone for "A Different World"--it hit the Top 20 on the 29th.

Souvenirs: Lots! Bucky's media blitz involved many interviews; check out his chat with the Daily Buzz, his stop at Fox 8 in Cleveland (one of the rare times that Bucky could hardly get a word in edgewise--sigh) and a terrific video at WFMS in Indianapolis, where Bucky's NASCAR-fan side is just as much fun as his rising country star side. Finally, Bucky's flirty AIM interview is proof that he's pretty witty no matter what the format happens to be...

May, June and July: on the road...

Bucky Covington and Rocky Covington on stage at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, 5/10. Photo by Aaron Crisler/Music City Update.com.

Bucky's May was the beginning of a major cross-country sweep that took him from his new hometown of Nashville (where he played a set at the Wildhorse Saloon to benefit the Kids Cafe) to Salem, Virginia, where he opened for Kenny Rogers, and on to Mountain Country Fest, the first of many festival performances that summer. The biggest news of the month was confrimation that Bucky would perform at the Riverfront stages and at LP Field during the next month's CMA Fest in Nashville. (And a second ticket stampede began...) May closed with Bucky's "A Different World" video sitting at #1 on the CMT Top 20 Countdown--a sweet way to start a hot summer!

In June, it was all about the CMA Fest--Bucky made an appearance on Good Morning America to chat a bit about his album and his career with GMA's Sam Champion, then made two big splashes with his daytime Riverfront show and his evening performance at LP Field, where he played for a packed stadium. At the Fan Fair, he signed autographs for a very long line of happy supporters, as USA Today noted in their story about the festival. The photo gallery that accompanied the paper's CMA Fest coverage was a big hit with Bucky's fans--as was the video from the photo shoot.

July saw the wheels on the bus going round and round all month--and while they were spinning everywhere from Las Vegas to Verona, New York, "A Different World" reached a milestone of its own, hitting the Top Ten on the Mediabase charts. His travels also included a national TV performance on Fox & Friends in New York City--where Bucky, Rocky, Shaun, Hans and Ducky appeared in matching "I Love NY" t-shirts after their luggage went awry. (As Fox's Alisyn Camerota reports in her blog, they were sweethearts about it.) A low-key but very important event took place in July when Bucky signed with ASCAP; those of us who loved his originals "Can't be Wrong" and "I Found the One" were especially happy to see his songwriting side in the press.

Souvenirs: In May, WKRN interviewed Bucky and Rocky about "the ladies", and their answers are predictably hilarious; CMT.com's CMA Fest coverage includes a beautiful photo gallery; and our friend the_mumbler's Lycoming County Fair videos will give you a sweet glimpse of Bucky's summer festival magic. More photo goodness: Mike Clifton's classic Wild Bill's Atlanta gallery from June, and these terrific Oshkosh Country USA shots from July.

August and September: Top Five, and loving it live...

Bucky Covington in concert in Verona, New York. 7/27; photo by Janie. Thanks!

Bucky's fans were treated to lots of live shows as the summer wound down; and we had a lot to cheer about in August as "A Different World" hit its chart peak of #5 on the Mediabase weighted rankings. There were plenty of opportunities to sing along, too. Bucky's bus rolled from Oregon to Delaware and almost everywhere in between, including a memorable rained out show at the Ross County Fair in Ohio that became a lovely impromptu acoustic set and meet and greet for those who stayed through the storm. Bucky's first major award nod also came in August, when "A Different World" was nominated in the "Best Video" category of the 2007 Inspirational Country Music Awards.



September's hot news came in a double dose; Bucky's second single, "It's Good to Be Us", was officially released on the 10th, but it had already hit the airwaves in some cities earlier in the month--the song landed at a healthy #59 upon its first "real" week on the charts. And in live news, the now-legendary Raisin' the Bar tour was announced; Cole Deggs & the Lonesome's MySpace Blog shared the good word on the last day of August, and a press release soon followed.
Bucky, Jason Michael Carroll and Cole Deggs & the Lonesome combined forces to make up a bill impossible to resist--and we didn't even try.

Bucky Covington flirts with the crowd during an the WGAR Country Jam in Cleveland, 9/8; photo by our friend Trish. Thanks so much!

Bucky's "It's Good to Be Us" hit the Top 40 just as he was busy filming the charming video for the tune in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a cast that included some real-life fans--check out Janie's behind the scenes shots!

Souvenirs: More late summer tour charm comes via
this great set of videos from Bucky's show in Covington, VA; professional photographer Julie Thacker's Poage Landing Days shots are a must-see; and WBKO covered Bucky's video shoot in Bowling Green in fine style.

October and November: Raisin' the Bar...

It was the tour of tours, the hottest ticket in town, and a total blast--Raisin' the Bar, featuring Bucky Covington, Jason Michael Carroll and Cole Deggs & the Lonesome was a big success--and all three acts gained themselves a lot of fans as the tour rolled through the country from late October to early December.

Bucky and Jason did much heavy-duty promoting before and during the tour--including a fun joint appearance on GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown's Halloween edition, where they carved pumpkins and talked over their concert plans with a gothy-gorgeous Nan Kelley.

And while Bucky was on the road, the video for "It's Good to Be Us" made its TV debut on GAC, CMT and CMT's Pure 12-Pack, where it debuted at #1--the second of Bucky's videos to do so.

November also brought Bucky and Jason together on the same stage for another special event--with Luke Bryan, they presented the Vocal Group of the Year award at the 41st annual CMA Awards to Bucky's labelmates Rascal Flatts.

Photo by Honeygirl--click to see more!

Souvenirs: Far too many to count! We'll point you to Fox 23 in Tulsa, where Bucky and Jason's long, uncut interview video is still in the archives for your pleasure; and to YouTube, where Jeano22's great videos from Bucky's Raisin' the Bar set in Katy are just the tip of the iceberg. (A quick search there will lead you to lots more.) There's a truly stunning set of videos from the Wildhorse show in Nashville by LadyLee at Brightcove, as well. For a "unique perspective" on the Raisin' the Bar stars, check out the photo galleries at KVOO. Finally, for sheer sweetness, this WCNC video and interview with Bucky's proud family is a treat you won't want to miss.

December: "It's Good to Be Us"

Bucky Covington shows off his brand new Redneck Guitar at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore; photo by Moondancer. Thanks, Moon!

The year ended on a lovely note with the announcement of Bucky's third Grand Ole Opry invitation. (He'll take the stage at the Ryman on January 12th--tickets are available at Opry.com.) A fun surprise popped up just in time for the holidays--Bucky's first Christmas tune, a revved-up version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", was heard on his official MySpace early in the month, and on our radios shortly thereafter. It went on to become one of the Top 25 country Christmas radio hits of the year, according to Country Aircheck, and Lyric Street soon made a digital single of the well-received track available for purchase. On the 8th, Bucky's kind fans presented him with a beautiful custom-made Redneck Guitar, and he played his new gift on stage for a couple of numbers during that night's Raisin' the Bar concert in Baltimore.

Bucky and his fans got two of our biggest gifts in the middle of December, when word came of his opening spots for country heavyweights Trace Adkins and Dierks Bentley. As the month rolled on, and Bucky's concert calendar for 2008 began to fill up fast, it became clear that his first year in the business was just the beginning--talk about a sought-after star on the rise!

It was also clear that a year full of honors was on the horizon--Clear Channel's New! Discover Music named Bucky a Best of 2007 Top Five Artist, and on December 5th, he was announced as one of the five selected performers for 2008's New Faces Of Country Music show at the annual Country Radio Seminar (CRS-39), which takes place in March.

2008 is looking bright--and with all the wonderful happenings this year, I've no doubt I missed a few big ones. But one thing that's impossible to miss--and impossible to describe--is how sweet and joyful a ride it's been for all of us to watch our favorite new country singer get out there and live his dream. Today's a day for resolving to live our own dreams, too--and if that's on your mind this morning, I'll leave you with Bucky's own words--they're just as true this year as they were last year, and the year before. "If you want to do it, then get out there and do it."

Happy New Year!