Bucky Covington, "Use Somebody" (live video) and some notes on giving back...

Buckywild08 was there for Bucky Covington and his band's fantastic New Year's Eve show in Winston-Salem--many thanks to her for kindly capturing this performance of "Use Somebody" from that memorable night! Click here to find out when Bucky and company will rock a stage near you...

One of the many things we love about country music in general (and about being Bucky Covington fans in particular) is that there are always ample opportunities to give back! Many country stars will be part of Friday's Hope for Haiti telethon (CMT has a news post about the telethon today) and the young and passionate Idol fans of ONTD_AI have started a drive to raise funds for Haiti though UNICEF USA. So far, over $20,000 has been donated--awesome news, and the drive is still in progress...

Country music's ties with St. Jude's Children's Hospital run deep and strong--CountryCares.org has been updated with news and country star interviews and that Donate Now link on their front page comes with a surprise inside. There's a Fan Club Challenge goin' on, and we can give to St. Jude's in honor of Bucky.

Another concert memory from Buckwild08: Jeff Cease, Bucky Covington, Steve Cook and Jeff Brown on stage for New Year's Howlin' Eve in Winston-Salem. Thanks again to Buckwild08 for sharing!

Of course, benefit concerts are a time-honored way of giving back and having a good time while doing good. Bucky's recent show with Chris Young and Easton Corbin was spotlighted at All Access and at Country Aircheck yesterday; together, they helped WPOC raise over $5,000 for St. Jude's. (You can see lots of photos from the night at the station's site.) Bucky's got even more benefits coming up--the LHS Country Showdown in Liberal, Kansas on the 23rd is a fundraiser for the LHS Boosters (tickets are available locally at Crazy House in Garden City) and he'll join Joe Nichols, Jimmy Wayne, Williams Riley, Jessica Harp and Blaine Larsen for the Country 92.3 Concert For Kids in Hartford on February 1st.

We'll wind things up for now with our daily voting reminders: show Bucky's "Gotta Be Somebody" video some affection at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and CMT's Pure 12-Pack today, and request Bucky at your local country radio station. Rocky Covington is Brothers Covington's (check out their graphic!) pick for favorite percussionist in Modern Drummer's 2010 readers' poll, and we dig him too--vote! Enjoy your Wednesday--W.