Quick weekend preview: New Bucky Covington concert date, and more photos from the "Save A Hero" launch and the CMA Awards...

We had to close our "What's your favorite Good Guys album only track?" poll due to a tech snafu, but no matter--the winner ran away with a full 50% of the vote! Here's "Hold A Woman", a sexy standout both live and on Bucky Covington's hot new album, Good Guys--get yours now at Amazon, iTunes, the HelpTheGoodGuys.com store, Bucky's official site, or at a music retailer near you.  (Thanks to Buckyteacher at YouTube for this terrific video.)
We'll start things off with a brand new concert date;  Bucky Covington will join Chris Cagle, Craig Campbell, The Farm, Katie Armiger, Greg Bates, Dustin Lynch, Jana Kramer, Edens Edge and Lauren Alaina for this year's KTEX 10 Man Jam.  It's happening on Saturday, December 8th at Winks Saloon in Brownsville, TX, and proceeds will benefit the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley.  There are many ways to get your tickets--check 'em all out right here, and enjoy!

Vote for Bucky Covington at GAC's "Top 50 Videos of the 2000s"!

Great American Country wants to know which videos you'd choose as the Top 50 of the past decade--and Bucky Covington's "A Different World" is on the list! Click here to vote for him once a day, every day, through January 16th, then watch out for the countdown's premiere in February. We'll be back later with a full post--see you then! (Thanks to Moyajb at Twitter, Happydays at Yahoo, and to everyone who passed the link along.)

It's Country Weekly's "Sexiest Man" survey time...vote for Bucky Covington!

Is Bucky Covington one of Country Music's Sexiest Men? This is certainly one of country music's sexiest new songs; Diamondstarbc captured this classic "Hold A Woman" performance in Greenville, and the track is set to be part of Bucky's second album in early 2012. It's a crowd pleaser already, and you can see and hear him and his band sing this one (along with several other past and future hits) live very soon! Click here for info on Bucky's Hometown Tour at his official website .

Here's a very quick reminder about Country Weekly magazine's "Country Music's Sexiest Men" poll--it's underway now, and while Bucky Covington isn't among the choices provided this year, he is eligible for your heartfelt write-in vote! Click here to go to the poll page, and scroll down to the "Other" field to give Bucky a boost. The poll ends soon, so be sure to share that link with a friend or two! (Thanks to BrosCovington on Twitter and the fine folks at BCST on Yahoo for the heads-up.) More soon...

Bucky Covington song poll results and a little concert reminder...

We have a winner! "Silly Girl" won our summer new song poll--here's eOne Music artist Bucky Covington and his band rockin' the crowd in concert a few weeks ago. Now that we know that Bucky's new album will be out in early 2012, we've got even more reason to cheer. Thanks to Buckyfan1007 for capturing this video!

Today's Photo of the Day is a personal favorite--here's Bucky Covington and Rocky Covington (in the hat) at the WGAR Country Jam, in a great shot by our very talented friend Trish. Thanks for the memories, Trish--it was a blast!

Bucky Covington's summer is turning out to be hotter than ever--a new label (eOne) and a very successful Hometown Tour. Here's a reminder about a special stop on that tour; Bucky and company will rock Six Flags over Texas on Saturday, July 30, as part of the Starburst® Summer Concert Series. This one's free with park admission or Season Pass--hope you'll be there for the fun! (And be sure to check out Bucky's complete official tour schedule right here.)

As for Bucky's new album, due out in (roughly) spring 2012 (we love being able to say that), we're hoping that all of the songs in our summer song poll are included in the eventual release. Here are the final results:

"Silly Girl" (47%)
"I Wanna Be That Feeling" (28%)
"I'm Alright" (15%)
"Strong Enough to Make It" (7%)

(See and hear all four songs via fan concert video in this post.)

Kudos to all who voted! We're hoping "Silly Girl" climbs up the charts the way the way it's climbed into our readers' hearts! Back with more very soon...

Poll: Bucky Covington's new tunes--choose your favorite via concert videos!

Our Photo of the Day is a terrific Country Thunder shot by the very kind Gayle--this image of Bucky Covington (with Ducky Medlock singing harmony) captures what all the live excitement is about. Check out Bucky's concert schedule at his official site, and get ready to rock!

We here and at Buckytown USA couldn't help but notice that Bucky Covington and his band have added some excellent new tunes to the setlist--and they are rockin', indeed. If you haven't had a chance to get to a Hometown Tour show yet, you're in for a treat! Luckily, some generous video-savvy fans have given us all a sneak peek at several of Bucky's fresh new songs that haven't (yet) become available for purchase.

It's always the most fun to give Bucky and the band live and loud feedback in person at a concert (so get to a show, already!), but if you're waiting for the tour bus to hit your hometown--or if you're savoring the memory of a past party--you can give Bucky some important feedback right here in our new poll (see sidebar). The voting will run all week, and we'll close it up and give the results on Monday--enjoy the music!

1. "Strong Enough to Take It" (video captured by MaryMc and posted by Buckyfan1007--image starts off sideways but goes into vertical mode in a few seconds)

2. "Silly Girl" (video captured by joelle96 )

3. "I Wanna Be That Feeling" (video captured by kayjudylang)

4. "I'm Alright" (video captured by colllleeen)

Huge kudos to the very kind fans who capture the live concert fun for those of us who can't always be there. You've got lots more chances to see Bucky and company up close and personal and enjoy these hot new tunes--and his big first-album hits--in style. (Please spread the word about this poll--feedback is a beautiful thing for an artist, y'all.) Thanks for all your help, and have a marvelous Monday!

It's "Hottest Bachelor" time again: vote for Bucky Covington! (And a few photo links, too...)

Thanks to Diver for this terrific shot of Bucky Covington on stage in Dothan, Alabama. Bucky's Hometown Tour is in progress and selling out all over; bookmark Bucky's official site for a list of concert dates, and check out Buckytown USA for news, photos and more.

One more time, everybody... Bucky Covington is on Country Weekly's annual "Hottest Country Bachelor" survey list, and the polls are open even as we speak. Vote for Bucky, y'all!

It looks like the voting is once per day, per email address, and it's always great to see his name and photo in the pages of CW. Vote early, vote often, share that link with a friend or fifteen. (Huge thanks to Buckytown USA for the heads-up.)



This very cool video montage by HITSSUPER features photos from Bucky's recent show at the BARn in Platteville, accompanied by the radio commercial for the well-attended date. Bucky and his band's rockin' Hometown Tour is getting some rave audience reviews on Twitter (here's a fresh one just for starters) and your turn to join the party is coming up soon. How soon? Click here and see...


Another great shot by Diver: Bucky Covington and band rocked the stage in Chattanooga a while back. Thanks again!

And we'll sign off with links to a few fresh new photos--three Bristol Motor Speedway shots by Nekirk Image have been posted on Flickr. The one in the link didn't make it onto the Bristol newspaper site, but it's a favorite. The Speedway itself has a couple of shots from the show in their Facebook gallery--a moody close up and a nice action shot of the band on stage. Freedom 92.9 sponsored the Holiday show in Olney (another sellout--seriously, get your tickets early!) and they posted this great photo of Bucky with the station's GM Mike Shipman and sales rep Deb Ayers; there's also a fab concert shot right here. WGLR, sponsors of that great Platteville show, shared a few photos of Bucky, the band and the crowd on their Facebook page, as well. (Their audio interview with Bucky from back in June 2010 is archived here, just in case you missed it...)

And finally, via Twitter, a bit of pure double goodness courtesy of the very kind makin_majik; if this shot doesn't make you smile, you might need another cup of coffee. (Maybe Rocky will share his?)

More very soon--enjoy the day!--W

Bucky Covington song poll results, "Gotta Be Somebody" goes Top Ten at GAC, conference call from Indy tonight, and more...

Bucky Covington's "Mexicoma", acoustic-style--this sunny video was taken at the KHEY New Country Showcase in El Paso last summer by the very kind cindyenchant. Read on for the final results of our winter song survey, and click here to find out when Bucky and company will be bringing some tropical delight your way...

Bucky Covington's concert tonight at the 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis begins in just a few short hours, and we're hearing that last-minute tickets will be sold at the door--be there if you can! Those who are too far away can join the party via conference call, courtesy of Hildi and her helpers. The call will happen at about 8 pm local time; if you're a member of Bucky's official fan club, check the forum tonight for the exact time to call in. (Updated: the call is over, and word has it that the show was a blast. Thanks to Hildi and company!)

A little more sunshine: Steve Cook and Bucky Covington rock the stage in Des Moines in this photo by the very talented Judy Lang--much appreciated!

Speaking of fun, how about some good news from this week's GAC Top 20 Country Countdown? Bucky's bright and beautiful video for "Gotta Be Somebody" took a sweet leap from #12 last week to #8 this week--a round of applause for Bucky, his excellent and photogenic band, director Devin Pense and for all who voted! We've gotten it into the Top Ten at GAC...can we get it all the way to #1? We're taking aim--join in with a daily vote at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and multiple votes at CMT's Pure 12-Pack, and be sure to pass those links along to as many country-loving friends as you can. (Thanks to Janie for the chart update.)

Last but definitely not least, our "which of Bucky's new songs would sound best on the radio" survey ended today. There was a virtual tie until the last day and a half, but the sun-and-sand anthem "Mexicoma" surged ahead to win the poll, followed by the slow-and-sexy "Hold a Woman". (We think they'd both sound awesome on the radio--tough choice between two potential hits!) Here are the full results:

Mexicoma: 45 votes (52%)
Hold a Woman: 23 votes (27%)
Evel Knievel: 9 votes (10%)
Giants: 4 votes (4%)
Lamp Post: 4 votes (4%)
Other: 0 (0%)

Those who love "Hold a Woman" will want to check out today's post at the beautiful Buck Wild blog, where Lisa/Judge has a gorgeous graphic banner you'll treasure. Whether it's a past hit or a future chartbuster, Bucky sounds good on the radio any time--give your local country station's request line a call, or use the contact info at left to get in touch with your favorite syndicated star. Have a great American Friday Night, everyone!

Vote for Bucky Covington and Rocky Covington, Country Weekly goodness, and more...

Our talented friend Minnie graciously shared this terrific shot from Bucky Covington's show in Merced, CA. Click the image to check out Bucky's concert schedule at his official site.

Many thanks to our good friend Buckems for giving us a kind heads-up about the current issue of Country Weekly magazine--Bucky Covington is once again gracing the pages. Check him out in the January 25th issue (Kenny Chesney cover) on pages 8 and 9. The magazine's site shares a bit of good news about Bucky's Lyric Street labelmate, Sarah Buxton...congrats to her on her engagement!

Country Weekly is also the topic of this fun audio clip from Country Music Tattle Tale; Bucky was among the many country performers who were asked how they felt upon seeing themselves in the magazine for the first time. Lots of sweet (and some very funny) answers followed...


Percussionist Rocky Covington sings and plays during a soundcheck in Rockingham; thanks to the very kind Buckyroo for the photo.

We've got double your pleasure when it comes to voting reminders tonight--the kind folks at Brothers Covington (follow them on Twitter) have been letting fans know that Rocky Covington deserves our votes over at Modern Drummer. The 2010 readers' poll is in progress, there's a percussionist category on the ballot (ahem), and voting ends on February 15th. Have fun!

And of course, be sure to give Bucky and "Gotta Be Somebody" some affection on your local country station's request line and at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and CMT's Pure 12-Pack. If you're listening to a syndicated country radio show this evening, contact your favorite host or hostess...

Lia: 1-800-577-7LIA
The Big Time w/Whitney Allen: 1-877-494-4863
After MidNite: 1-800-722-6483
CMT Radio Live w/Cody Alan: 1-866-877-4CMT
2nd Shift w/Alan Kabel: 1-888-96NIGHT

More soon!

A just-for-fun poll at AmericanIdol.com...

Goin' way, way back for this one: Bucky Covington's first American Idol promo photo, 2006.

What post-Idol CD are you most looking forward to in 2010? Well, if you're stopping in at Buckymania, it's safe to assume that I'm Alright, Bucky Covington's upcoming album, is high on your list.

The official American Idol site has a poll on their front page today--they want to know if Jason Castro's, Katharine McPhee's or Bucky's new CD is the one you'll snag first. (Nope, "all three" isn't an option on the poll, alas, though I suspect it'll be an option at iTunes.)

Vote early, vote often, spread the word, and most of all, have fun. (And hey, feel free to show Bucky and "Gotta Be Somebody" some affection at GAC's Top 20 Country Countdown and CMT's Pure 12-Pack, while you're in a voting mood...) More soon!

Vote for Bucky Covington at CMT's Pure 12-Pack, and enjoy a little more video from Cedar Springs (updated)

Bucky Covington on stage at the Memphis Motorsports Park last week; many thanks to our good friend Texas Proud Bucky Fan for the terrific concert shot. (Click the image to find out when Bucky and his band will be rockin' a venue near you.)

Bucky Covington and his band are enjoying a break from the road for a few more days, but his fans will be busier than ever on the request lines and the video-voting polls (see that red rectangle below) as the week begins. You can catch Bucky and company live again beginning on November 4th, when they'll play at the star-studded WBEE Stars and Guitars bash in Rochester, NY, and with a little hard work on our part, we'll be able to catch him on our TV screens, too.


Bucky's beautiful new video for "Gotta Be Somebody" has been added to the CMT Pure Country Pure 12-Pack ballot--please click that button and feel free to show Bucky's video some love, y'all! (A major splash at 12-Pack would be a very good thing, especially after so long a gap between videos. See you there...)

Updated: Thanks to a kind anon who left this note in comments: "Bucky is on Best New Video poll this week, too!" Click here to vote for him at CMT, and look for links in our sidebar in a few moments.

We'll close for now with a Sunday morning treat from Bucky, Jeff and Ducky's stop at Cedar Springs. Here's a heartfelt live acoustic "Gotta Be Somebody", as captured by the very kind lakergirl824 at YouTube--thanks to her for sharing this moment! More very soon--Winnie

A request reminder, a "sexy" Country Weekly poll, and a few results (updated with video interview link)

Bucky Covington wears a fan-gifted lei on stage at the Indiana State Fair; thanks to Judy Lang for this fun shot.

Here are the results of our last Buckymania poll about how many Bucky Covington concerts you've been to in 2009. If you're with me in the "None yet" category (sigh!), keep the faith--we still have plenty of chances to enjoy the live excitement in the coming months. Click here for Bucky's official concert schedule (a work in progress--see our previous post for a new date) and make those plans! As for you lucky "4+" and "I've lost count" folks...well, we'll probably see you there, yes?

None yet: 18 (33%)
1-2: 16 (29%)
3-4: 7 (12%)
4+: 10 (18%)
I've lost count! 3 (5%)

Thanks so much for voting--look for another poll in the upper right corner very soon...

Country Weekly's annual "Country Sexiest Men" poll began today, and it runs through September 14th. Bucky's missing from the ballot this year, but we can still cast a vote for him as a write-in; click "Other" at the bottom of the page. The results for this one will be printed in the October 19th issue of Country Weekly.

Finally, be sure to request Bucky's beautiful single, "I Want My Life Back", after you've enjoyed the ABC special. (Huge thanks to the kind reader who let me know there was a typo in the Whitney Allen phone number I've been posting--it's corrected below.) Call locally, call nationally--call your station and ask for Bucky:

Lia: 1-800-577-7LIA
The Big Time w/Whitney Allen: 1-877-494-4863
After MidNite: 1-800-722-6483
CMT Radio Live w/Cody Alan: 1-866-877-4CMT
2nd Shift w/Alan Kabel: 1-888-96NIGHT
GAC Nights: 1-866-942-GAC1

Updated: Bucky's tenth and last video interview segment has just been posted at YouTube. In this one, he talks about the ways he keeps his sanity with such a hectic schedule. (Success has its privileges, y'all...) Have a great night!--Winnie

Bucky Covington "Gotta Be Somebody", KMPS Test Track 8/27 (via Tony Thomas at Twitter)

Want a sneak preview of one of the new tracks on Bucky Covington's upcoming album? Tony Thomas of KMPS just Tweeted this link to a snippet of Bucky's version of "Gotta Be Somebody"--listen, then head over to KMPS, scroll down to the "Audio" link where you'll see Bucky's photo tonight, and let him know what you think. (I like it!) Enjoy--Winnie

Quick Wednesday news: Bucky Covington in West Virginia tonight, new Star B-Q photos and more...

Bucky Covington cheers as Rocky Covington takes over the microphone at the Boone County Fair in this great shot by the very kind Judy Lang; click the image to see the latest installment in Bucky's video interview series, in which he talks about the benefits of being on the road with Rocky...

We'll keep this one short and sweet, so y'all can get back to some All-Request Wednesday business. (Yep, I'm a pest...) Bucky Covington's fans in West Virginia are getting ready for a terrific night of live music--he and his excellent band will open for Darius Rucker at the State Fair of West Virginia at 8 pm. The Fair's Box Office is open today from 9 am to 4:30 pm, and tickets are $33 for track, $23 grandstand seating. Kids 3 and under are free; the fun is priceless!

Photographer Laura Tucker caught Bucky Covington dancing up a storm at the WSLC Star B-Q; lots more shots from the day are available at the So Salem Flickr profile.

(License info: CC BY-SA 2.0)

Some recent live-music fun has been captured in images; there are some new and terrific photos from Bucky's recent WSLC Star B-Q show posted at Flickr today. Thanks to So Salem for the heads up, and to talented photographer Laura Tucker for her generosity. (This is a good spot to add links to Bucky's MySpace calendar, Buckytown USA's concert sidebar and Bucky Covington's official tour page--these guys put on a killer show, and you'll want to be there for the ride...)

We'll close with some good advice from a kind anonymous commenter from the previous post. Anon recommended that those who are just tuning in check out Yes.com (or Radiohog.com for those who like things simple and mobile-friendly) before requesting, to make sure your radio station hasn't just played "I Want My Life Back". And if they have, call or write to let them know you enjoyed it! Enter your station's call letters in the upper left hand "search for channels" box at Yes (the Lobby page is sadly unmoderated--apologies in advance for any rough language), or check your station's site's front page. Some stations have either a Yes scroll or a "recently played songs" list right up front.

Oh, and let's squeeze this in while we're here--last call on that Country Weekly Cyber Poll! They're asking "which new album are you most looking forward to?" , and Bucky's upcoming second CD (on sale October 13th) would fit right into that "other" write-in spot.

Have a wonderful Wednesday--Winnie

A Country Weekly poll, a request reminder, and some notes about a "different world"...

Bucky Covington (with Tom Hurst on drums) rocked the Fire Jam in Hillsboro, Kansas last week; click the image to view that night's stellar performance of his hit, "I Want My Life Back", and click here for his current concert schedule. Thanks to the very gracious Judy Lang for the photo!

Many thanks to a kind reader who alerted us to this poll--Country Weekly magazine (which has an article on Bucky Covington in this week's issue) is running a Cyber Poll that asks "Which new album are you most looking forward to?" Three upcoming releases by superstars are offered as choices, and the fourth option is "other", with space for a write-in vote. (Did I mention that Bucky Covington's long-awaited second album will be in stores and online everywhere October 13th? Just sayin'...)

Ducky Medlock, Bucky Covington and Steve Cook on stage at Bucky's official fan club party in Nashville; photo by the very kind AmaTexMom of BuckyFanPics. Thanks again!

The semi-long-awaited photos from Bucky's Grand Ole Opry performance last night are unfortunately still being awaited as of post time. However, if you'd like to get a general idea of what it looked like at yesterday's Tuesday Night Opry, the official street team of Bucky's labelmates Love and Theft has Lyric Street-provided photos from their terrific set posted at their MySpace. We found the L&T shots via the street team's label-sponsored Twitter--can't help but think of what a "different world" it is for new artists now when it comes to online support! Twitter, Mozes and iPhone apps were either non-existent or barely unboxed when Buckymania made its debut in 2006; now stars and labels use instant tech to contact and mobilize fans directly, and this fan blog format seems almost quaint and outdated. (Yes, I am feeling like the owner of a Zenith with three TV channels you get up to change, tonight--but still here we are...)

One old tech that always works beautifully is the phone--the one we'll be using to request "I Want My Life Back" on the radio tonight! Call your local live DJ at your favorite country station, or contact the syndicated host or hostess on the air near you:

Lia: 1-800-577-7LIA
The Big Time w/Whitney Allen: 1-877-494-4963
After MidNite: 1-800-722-6483
CMT Radio Live w/Cody Alan: 1-866-877-4CMT
2nd Shift w/Alan Kabel: 1-888-96NIGHT
GAC Nights: 1-866-942-GAC1

Sweet dreams, everyone--Winnie

Buckymania poll results: "Mexicoma" is a winner!

Thanks to Buckymouse for this great shot from Bucky Covington's KHEY New Country Showcase concert earlier this summer; click the image to see her amazing "Mexicoma" montage video at YouTube.


For most of the week, "Hold a Woman" was the winning answer to our poll about your favorite of three hot new songs on Bucky Covington's set list, but in the final 48 hours, the "Mexicoma" fans pulled ahead. Here's how it broke down (links go to concert/fan videos):

1. "Mexicoma" (45%)
2. "Hold a Woman" (38%)
3. "Evel Knievel" (16%)

Thanks to everyone who voted! Our next poll (a shorter one about your favorite ways to keep up with Bucky online) begins in a few moments and ends on Sunday. See you soon--Winnie

Evening edition: Bucky Covington's Top 30 quest, Country Weekly's sexiest survey and more...

Bucky Covington on stage during his first ever Fan Club party concert in Nashville; photo provided by the very gracious Diver. Thanks so much!

Who are country's all-time sexiest stars? Country Weekly wants to know; their current cyber poll gives a few very worthy picks of their own from decades gone by, along with a write-in/"Other" option for each decade. They also have a "Future" category (2010-2020) and for the male options, they've started the ball rolling with certified present-day country heartthrobs Blake Shelton and Dierks Bentley. Now, there may or may not be a name you might want to consider putting into the field below the "If you chose Other for Male, let us know who you’d pick for the future" text. (Ahem!) See you there...

A quick chart check tonight reveals some strong, sweet momentum for Bucky Covington's "I Want My Life Back". [You can hear Bucky Covington's new single at his MySpace.] It's looking good at #34 with a bullet on this evening's Mediabase published chart, and even with a superstar on its heels, the song's officially flirting with that Top 30 milestone. (Gotta love exciting times on the charts!) Give your local country DJ a call tonight and request Bucky's new hit, or contact the nationally syndicated host gracing the airwaves where you live:

Lia: 1-800-577-7LIA
The Big Time w/Whitney Allen: 1-877-494-4963
After MidNite: 1-800-722-6483
CMT Radio Live w/Cody Alan: 1-866-877-4CMT
2nd Shift w/Alan Kabel: 1-888-96NIGHT
GAC Nights: 1-866-942-GAC1

Have a beautiful Monday evening!--Winnie

Bucky Covington at Taste of Cincinnati, chart moves, trail videos and more...

Another great concert shot courtesy of the very kind Diver--Bucky Covington on stage at the Jacksonville Landing show in March. Thanks again, Diver!

Here's a very quick news sweep to start off the day:

• For the chartwatchers: Bucky Covington's new single "I Want My Life Back" [hear it here] is on the move--it's risen to #38 on the Country Aircheck Weekly Activator chart (from # 41 last week), and it debuts on their general weekly chart at #45, with 14 new stations. Mediabase shows the song holding the #44 spot with a bullet this morning. (Feel free to request, y'all--there's no such thing as a too-big bullet...) Thanks to Fran for the heads-up and for lots of help!

• Also via Fran (thanks again!), here's a link to Q102's photogallery from the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival a few days back--just a few photos of Bucky and friends at the end of the gallery, but plenty of crowd and patron shots. (If you were there, you just might see yourself...)

• Bucky's recent concert updates include a newly announced show at the Mohegan Sun's Breakers on May 19th, sponsored by Froggy 101 in the Wilkes-Barre PA area, and now there's just-posted info about the Taste of Cinncinati celebration sponsored by B105.1. From the site: "The B-105 / Pigeon Forge Free Country Music Stage will be on the corner of Race and Fifth Streets in downtown Cincinnati"; Bucky takes the stage at 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 24th. Good food, a holiday weekend and a live performance by Bucky and his awesome band to top off the day? Sounds just about perfect...

• Here's a little video that may or may not be new to you, but either way, it's fun! Trails Heaven just posted two segments from Fisher's ATV World featuring Bucky talking about his career and his love of the trails. Click here to watch the first and here for the second.

• Finally, a couple of poll reminders; Bucky's featured in the "Country's Sexiest Bachelor" matchup at Today's Country Magazine, and the video for "It's Good to Be Us" needs some lovin' at GAC's Top 20 Songs of Summer poll.

This charmer of a request banner was created by Judy Lang--short and sweet, and the message is abundantly clear. Thanks again, Judy! More soon--Winnie

Sunday news: Bucky Covington at the Nashville Arthritis Walk, new poll and more...

Rocky Covington (left) and Bucky Covington rock the house during last night's Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival concert in Winchester, Virginia--photo by the very kind Happydays, who was there for the fun. (Click here to see her terrific "Mexicoma" video at YouTube.) Thanks to Happydays for sharing and to Hildi for the heads-up!

News bites for a busy Sunday:

• A few weeks back, Country Weekly magazine ran their annual poll to determine their readers' pick for "Country's Sexiest Bachelor"--now Today's Country Magazine is asking you for your choice among the top ten! Bucky Covington's on the list--head over to the magazine's site now to give him your support, and be sure to check out the rest of the excellent offerings while you're there. (Thanks to Cathy Anne for the heads-up.)

• Bucky's also a part of this weekend's chart news at CMT.com, both directly and indirectly--his brand new single, "I Want My Life Back" [hear it here]is noted for its return to #50 after a little polevault, and the soundtrack from Hannah Montana, the Movie (enjoy video of Bucky talking about his film debut here) debuted at #1 on this week's Billboard Country Albums chart.

• Today, Bucky and his band perform at the the Nashville Arthritis Walk--for last-minute info, head on over to the Arthritis Foundation's site.

• The beautiful Buck Wild blog has an intriguing post about Bucky's possible picks for a Commodores cover on his upcoming album, including links to the original tunes. Which one will it be, and will it make the new CD in September? Ahhh, mystery...
  

• Finally, a reminder about that GAC's Top 20 Songs of Summer poll--"It's Good to Be Us" is one of the video choices, and it certainly fits the summer-fun theme! The poll ends on May 11th, and we can vote once a day.
  
  

Kudos to BuckyKrazy for today's lovely "I Want My Life Back" request banner (click image to view full size), and to Fran of BuckytownUSA for sharing the visual treat. Thanks also to the many kind photographers who've shared awesome recent concert shots! Bucky's talented fans are brilliant at capturing the excitement of the live shows--if you'd like to experience the good times first hand, hop to Buckytown USA's sidebar for all the latest dates and info.

More later--happy Sunday!--Winnie

Tuesday news: full "Throttle" soon, chart gazing and more...

Bucky Covington on stage at the KMLE Pre-Show Party at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion in Phoenix; photo by the fabulous Sunscreen of the Bucky Truck Stop at Rawkhands. Click the image to see many more of her beautiful Phoenix shots. Thanks again, Sunscreen!

The excitement's buliding! In a couple of days, Dierks Bentley's Throttle Wide Open tour will begin in Gainesville, and with Bucky Covington and Luke Bryan along for the evening, it'll be a night to remember. Those hoping for the last minute, up-close "production-release" seats should keep a Ticketmaster window for that show open today and tomorrow--you could get very lucky, indeed. Fingers crossed for you--may you get great seats for what's sure to be a great show!

Here's what else is happening today:

Chart news: Bucky's "It's Good to Be Us" was "polevaulted" by a longtime hitmaker yesterday, and it's currently #18 on the Mediabase weighted chart and #17 on the Top 500.* The good news is that the bullets are steadily growing--a little more requesting and "Top X at X" voting on our parts could make them plumper still. (Remember Lia, The Big Time with Whitney Allen, Danny Wright All Night, and/or After Midnite, too--they'd love to hear from us...)

Upcoming shows: A friendly reminder--tickets for most stops on Dierks Bentley's Throttle Wide Open tour are available now at Ticketmaster.

Dierks Bentley Fan Club pre-sale tickets for the 4/4 concert in Birmingham will be available tomorrow, 2/13, at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster. You can also snag Dierks Bentley Fan Club pre-sale tickets for the 4/10 Elliott Hall of Music show in West Layfayette, IN there--same starting date and time. (Looks like there are venue and All-Access bundle pre-sales, as well--see those TM pages for details.)

The Jackson, TN Dierks Bentley concert on April 3rd is a non-TM event, and those seats are available at the City of Jackson site. The Machine Shop in Flint, MI will welcome Bucky and his excellent band on 2/2, and your ticket to this 18-and-over, general admission show is waiting for you at www.etix.com.

Bucky Covington rocks out with Ducky Medlock and Shaun Bayles in this excellent action shot from their Chillicothe show by the very kind Danna. Thanks so much for the beautiful photos, Danna!

On the tube and around the net: The CMT Online Awards get some TV time this evening--catch them on CMT tonight at 11:00 p.m. ET. GAC tops off your late-night TV fare with Bucky's video for "It's Good to Be Us" at 11:32 p.m.

Online, enjoy a great shot from last year's ACM Awards arrivals (we're hoping Bucky will be there this year, too!) and a beautiful Rocky Covington portrait at The Covington Times this morning. They've also posted a sweet double-dose of history from Bucky's Idol season and his "A Different World" video debut.

Vote for Bucky: Bet you're not surprised to see that big ol' 2008 CMT Music Awards button over there, are you? This could be a huge, huge shining moment for Bucky on national TV with many repeats, and all the pestering...um, "encouragement" you and I have been giving our friends, neighbors and assorted cohorts is so going be worth it when he's got that belt buckle in hand. If you haven't done it already, register and vote right away!

The newly announced Gone Country Magazine "favorite country Idol" poll is looking like an extremely close race between two very talented Lyric Street singers--have a look, vote and have fun...

The Country Weekly "Country's Hottest Bachelor" survey rolls on for a little bit longer, but the deadline must be approaching soon--get your votes in now. And thanks again to Ann and Laura for writing in with an explanation of the Idol Thoughts consolation round--we're currently voting for the 9th and 10th ranked singers.

Last but not at all least, a bit of love and support for "It's Good to Be Us" is a beautiful thing--give it a cheer at the new drag-and-drop GAC Top 20 Country Countdown, at CMT's Top 20 Countdown and at CMT's Pure Country Pure 12-Pack.

More later--have a terrific Tuesday!

*Thanks to Ogopogo for the chart correction. (I should never post before coffee! --Winnie)

A "Gone Country" poll, and a video delight...

The folks at Gone Country Magazine have a poll in progress--they'd like to know who your favorite country Idol might be. (Hmmmm...) Vote for Bucky Covington here as often as you'd like, and turn your pop-up blocker off if you want to see how he's doing; results pop up after you vote. The poll ends on 2/22. Be sure to browse the rest of their attractively revamped site--a definite must-read if you love current country music...

And for a change of pace to wind down the night, here's something a little different--Buckyroo captured this snippet of Bucky performing an acoustic "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" during the Redneck Yacht Club cruise sponsored by WSOC back in September, and she kindly shared it on YouTube. The conditions might not have been ideal for the guitar strings, but if you close your eyes for a moment and just listen to Bucky's incredibly cool, one of a kind voice on this haunting song, it serves as a beautiful reminder of just why his fans do all this voting, mouse-clicking and requesting. Enjoy!



Edited to add a note about that Idol Thoughts consolation round (and to thank Ann and Laura for the clarification)--this week's voting is for two spots, the 9th and 10th places. (Bucky's 11th as of this writing.) Yep, lots of polls to watch, "It's Good to Be Us" to request, and that crucial CMT Music Awards ballot to fill out--we've got our hands full, but we're up to the challenge! More soon--Winnie