The 2008 CMT Music Awards, and why Tuesday means everything...again

By request, Bucky Covington rocks out in the sunshine (top) and shares a spot with Ducky Medlock (scroll down) at an outdoor show in Turlock, CA last summer; click here to enjoy a beautiful set of concert photos by the very kind Minnie. Thanks again, Minnie!

(Besides what follows, tomorrow's also a big day in many states--vote, y'all! The usual daily info links are at end of this post; scroll on down to view--Winnie)

Almost two years ago, you and I and all of Bucky Covington's newly-won but decidedly devoted fans were on serious pins and needles. The biggest and most important vote of the Idol season, as far as we were concerned, was due to happen that third week of March, '06. Was Bucky going to make it into the Top 10 and be part of the American Idols Live tour? We rallied--fiercely--and we voted like crazy, especially after Simon Cowell's drubbing of Bucky's "Oh, Boy" performance made the coast seem even less clear.

A heavy night of dialing and redialing, a distracted Wednesday workday (did you find yourself wondering, while you went through your daily tasks, what that night's results show was going to bring you, and how you'd react to the news?) and a very suspenseful evening in front of the tube followed.

I'm a bit embarrassed to say that my knees literally shook a little as a ponytailed Bucky stood next to diminutive Kevin Covais, while Ryan Seacrest faced them, card in hand. So much was riding on that moment!

Our then-wild dreams about solo tours for Bucky down the road, about going to see and hear him play at those summer festivals, friends by our side, good times guaranteed...our not-so-secret desires to turn on the radio someday and hear a Bucky Covington hit blaring out of our speakers, or to channel-surf to CMT or GAC and see him with guitar in hand, captured beautifully on video...we knew. We knew at that moment that all of those dreams would take a big step forward--or a major blow--depending on what was written on that tiny little card.

When Bucky was declared safe that night, I think our collective shoulders must have dropped a foot with sheer blessed relief. That mad scramble to the AmericanIdol.com Bucky Covington board and the huge "group hug" we shared via modem was something we'll never, ever forget.

Fast forward to now, when so many of those dreams we were speed-dialing to keep alive have come true in glorious fashion. Bucky's worked hard to make those dreams realities, and his resume is familiar and fantastic-- a #1 debut on Billboard's country album chart, the #1 new artist nod from Country Aircheck, a Top Five debut single, a current Top 20-and-rising follow up, three invitations to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, a highly prestigious spot at the New Faces showcase at CRS--the list goes on and on, and we couldn't be a prouder or happier bunch of music fans!

And yet, I'm feeling a little bit shaky-kneed again today...


Tomorrow brings the announcement of the 2008 CMT Music Awards first round nominees. Unlike that pins-and-needles Monday in '06, we can't even be sure if he's on the list for this one, and that is maddening enough. But if he is...if he is, y'all--we are again at one of those major turning point moments in Bucky's career.

The statistics on the effects of the CMT Music Awards speak for themselves. According to a press release following last year's event, the 2007 awards sparked post-show album sales for performers in a jaw-dropping way:

Sugarland saw the greatest album sales increase of the night with a 79% jump following their performance of “Stay,” which has not yet been released as a single. Sugarland also reaped early gains online; celebrating more than 2,300 downloads in the 48 hours following their CMT Music Awards performance. For the total week, Sugarland garnered over 6,400 downloads representing a 3,113% increase over the previous week.

“A great artist, with a moving song and a stunning performance will always move the needle,” said Luke Lewis, chairman of Universal Music Group Nashville. “The incredible sales increase following the show offers further evidence that CMT is a powerful player in the marketplace.”

In other sales success, Toby Keith (“High Maintenance Woman”) saw a sales increase of 26%; Video of the Year Winner Carrie Underwood (“Before He Cheats”) saw a sales increase of 24%; Kenny Chesney (“Summertime”) saw a sales increase of 23%; Keith Urban, who performed a special acoustic version of “Stupid Boy” from Sydney, Australia, saw a sales increase of 18%; Dierks Bentley (“Long Trip Alone”) saw a sales increase of 18%; Rascal Flatts, who made show-history by opening the live telecast with the fan-voted number “Life is a Highway,” saw a sales increase of 16%; Martina McBride (“Anyway”) saw a sales increase of 10%; and Hank Williams Jr. (“A Country Boy Can Survive”) saw an increase of 2%.

Bucky Covington smiles for the camera at the 2007 CMT Music Awards in Nashville. (Photo by Aaron Crisler/ Music City Update .com)

Of course, at this point we're not even certain that Bucky's nominated, let alone performing, but the big picture couldn't be clearer--if there's any way at all that Bucky Covington can be part of this shindig, we are going to need all hands on deck. The boost that the 2008 CMT Music Awards could give Bucky Covington, the CD and Bucky Covington, the artist, is worth any and all of our of time, energy, coffee, Red Bull, sleep-short nights, crowded lunchtimes and busy days.

The CMT Music Awards are the only major fan-voted awards in country music--and with more than 18.7 million viewers tuning in for repeats of last year's awards, the new fans that could be won with a good showing on this year's awards are worth the enormous effort we'll be happily making. (Not to mention the incredible rush of pride we'll feel when we see him standing at the podium on April 14th with the first of many major awards in his hand, and a huge smile on his face...)

So yes--if Bucky's name is on one of those little cards tomorrow, Tuesday is gonna mean everything...again. (And if he isn't nominated? We are so ready for 2009.) Stand by, stay tuned, cross your fingers, control the shaky knees as best you can, and keep the faith, y'all--no matter what's happening, when it comes to Bucky Covington, a wild ride is guaranteed!

Here's what else is happening now:

Chart news: Bucky Covington's exuberant single "It's Good to Be Us", moved up to #17 on both the Mediabase weighted and Top 500 charts yesterday afternoon--yes, we do have a friendly superstar on our heels, but the upward trend is still a beautiful thing to see. We'll keep it going with our requests, of course! Monday brings another week of "Top X at X" countdowns and nationally syndicated radio shows--we're in it to win it for sure...

Upcoming shows: At last check, both the Dierks Bentley Throttle Wide Open seats at Ticketmaster and that The Machine Shop date in Flint, MI on 2/22 are selling briskly indeed--if you don't get the seat you're after at Ticketmaster, keep trying! Sometimes great tickets are released at odd times--near the show date is the best time to grab a prime spot, but it isn't the only time. A little dedication could pay off big...

The Flint show is standing-room only and over 18, and it's a small enough venue that tickets might sell out completely before the week is done. Snag yours at www.etix.com as soon as you can!

On the tube and around the net: The CMT Online Awards Nominee Report gets a final repeat today at 1:30 p.m., and be sure to set your Tivo for a look back at some summer fun--GAC's Riverfront Concert Series segment with Bucky and labelmates Sarah Buxton and Trent Tomlinson will bring back some sweet CMA Fest memories! Mark your calendar for Friday, 2/8 at 10:30 p.m. (several repeats follow).

Online, check out today's The Covington Times for two beautiful concert photos by Happydays and Misdask9, a look at what Trace Adkins' fans had to say about Bucky's opening show, a link to a gorgeous tribute montage by a fan from the UK, and more! And here's a repeat link from late last night--browse these shots from Bucky's St. Louis Country taping in January, newly posted at the Wild Country nightclub site.

Vote for Bucky: The Country Weekly "Country's Hottest Bachelor" survey is heating up--tell a friend, or even an office full of friends! "It's Good to Be Us" deserves some affection at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown, CMT's Top 20 Countdown and at CMT's Pure Country Pure 12-Pack. The latest round of "Idol Madness" playoffs at Idol Thoughts are still going strong; vote for Bucky here. Finally, that "help Bucky choose his next radio single" poll at Bucky's official site appears to have gotten an extension--so be sure to have your say, if you haven't already...

Last but not least, the very kind BigBuckyFan left a fun note in comments this weekend about a nice reply from the folks at Zippo after she emailed them to express her appreciation for their sponsorship of Bucky's spring tour. A gracious company, appreciative fans and a terrific performer--we'll steal Bucky's pun and say that it sounds like "a good match" all around.

More soon--have a magnificent Monday!