Happy holidays! Bucky Covington fans have a lot of reasons to be thankful (long post--go get coffee...)

A "Live From Rockingham" moment, courtesy of the very talented Judy Lang; Bucky Covington sings "I'll Walk" for a hometown crowd of fans and friends, September 2009.

It's the day before Thanksgiving--a travel day for many, a cooking day for most, and a slow day on the news front. What better time to take a moment and count a few blessings? Bucky Covington's fans have plenty of reasons to be thankful this year. Here are a few:


Bucky Covington gets personal with the crowd in Biloxi; thanks to the very kind Texas Proud Bucky Fan for this great shot.

We're thankful for a terrific 2009 tour that took Bucky and his excellent band from Florida to Alaska and back again, with a sweet detour overseas for some memorable USO performances. (There are still a few stops coming up before the guys take a well-earned breather--click here for the reminder of Bucky's official fall/winter tour schedule.) Those of us who couldn't make it to a show this year have a lot to look forward to in 2010, once the promotion for Bucky's second album, I'm Alright, begins...

We're thankful for a hot new music video for "Gotta Be Somebody", after a nearly two-year break from the CMT/GAC voting scene. The beautiful "I'll Walk" was a huge radio hit without a video (and I'll forever feel that "I Want My Life Back" should have been a huge hit, with or without one), but Bucky's videogenic charisma has been missing from our TV screens for far too long, and it's great to see him on the country music channels again. (If you want to see him even more often, please vote for him on GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and CMT's Pure 12-Pack right now. We'll be here when you get back...)

We're thankful for Live From Rockingham, the surprise EP that captures the joy of Bucky's historic homecoming concert so well. It's been a long wait for Bucky's sophomore album, with several rescheduled release dates along the way. The release of this stellar live EP, announced just a little over two weeks before its November 17th street date, goes a long way toward making the wait a little more bearable, and the inclusion of a the crowd-pleasing "Mexicoma" makes our appetite for I'm Alright just that much keener. (Confession: I cannot wait for spring, y'all...)

We're thankful for CMA Fest, country radio, the Grand Ole Opry, CMT, GAC, Lyric Street, Idol, country venues from shore-to-shore and so many more in Nashville and beyond for giving us ways to connect with, support, celebrate and enjoy the slow, sweet and steady rise of our favorite emerging country star. It's hard to remember now, but when this blog first began in '06, all you and I had to look forward to for sure was a twice-weekly glimpse of Bucky on American Idol. There are absolutely, positively no guarantees in the music business, and the fact that we're here together now, talking about past hits, present videos and future releases, is something to be very thankful for, indeed.

Jeff Cease, Ducky Medlock, Bucky Covington and Rocky Covington at Riverfront Park during their CMA Fest Daytime Stages performance; thanks to Diver for this summer memory.

From the start, we (and Bucky, for that matter) never insisted he had to be the next Elvis; we just firmly insisted, via Idol votes and radio requests, that a very talented, previously unknown singer get a solid chance at a steady Nashville career. We were confident that once he had the opportunity, his own musical strengths, charisma and dedicated work ethic would take care of the rest. Seeing it play out exactly that way--complete with all the ups and downs, slings and arrows, bumps and triumphs of every emerging artist's road--has been a shared adventure to be thankful for. (And yep, it's just beginning...)


Lots to smile about! Bucky Covington on stage at the Indiana State Fair; thanks to the very kind Buckaholic for the photo.

Finally, a personal thanks to you! Thank you so very much for all the photos, news, concert updates, recaps, comments you have shared over the years, and for the general flat-out fun we've had here at Buckymania. This blog really is a group effort--we're all busy supporting our favorite new country star in so many different ways, and I am so honored that you choose to come here as one of your stops to catch up on things. Give yourself a round of applause and a side of macaroni salad with the turkey tomorrow. (Hold the cheese...)

News post later--see you then!