Bucky Withdrawal

Sitting here tonight feeling sorry for myself. My next Bucky fix isn't until June and I have no idea how I am expected to survive until then. Really isn't that expecting a lot? I mean it has been exactly 18 days since my last Bucky show and it feels like it was 10 years ago. What is up with that anyhow? I know we all feel the same once the after show aura wears off. It takes a week or so for that to happen, but within 2 or 3 weeks the most recent memory suddenly feels decades old, and you are craving and plotting your next fix. I even dream of one day being retired (and wealthy!) and following the tour around the country for a year or 10. I am not entirely sure if this addiction (which I admit to fully!) is really any different than any other addiction, with the exception that our therapy group doesn't meet weekly, nor typically in person. We often meet online in any of the forums listed to the right, and occasionally in person at concerts.

You can spot us a mile away too, we glance at our M&G pass noting it is the same as the other dozen plus we have collected at home, and then start talking to some newbie Bucky fan about how this is our eleven-hundred-thousandth time meeting him and how smitten we still are to this day. We then assure them they will feel the same way, while plotting our eleven-hundred-thousand and first M&G. We often bring gifts (hint: chocolate seems to go over big!) or photos to share, and we always bring a hug. We can be seen wearing a variety of clothing, from our classic Bucky concert tees to the now endangered Carolina blue It's Good To Be Us shirts. Some of us dress up quite a bit more, something a bit flashy perhaps - I freely admit to "concert shopping" in the days before a show looking for just the right thing to wear. I also freely admit to hauling way too much stuff to the shows. I have the camera and the purse, nothing too complex but then I add the really cool new tee that they are selling (tan one with the moon, I love it!) and a soda or water, plus the photo I want signed, plus perhaps a poster that I grabbed on the way in. At the last show things were going fine and I was doing a personal inventory of my baggage when I noted I was missing my purse. I had left it over at the counter when I purchased a soda. So yep, I bring too much stuff. If you bring so much that you don't immediately notice you are missing something, then you brought too much.

Next time maybe I will just load it all into a shopping cart and bring that along. Plenty of time to think about it, next show isn't until June.

*The Captain America Idol print was the last thing I gifted to Bucky....no, it is not chocolate. Yes, he seemed to think it was cool - and I doubt he has any thing quite like it LOL. Apparently when Captain America died, his replacements' name was "Bucky". Someone created the print and crossed it over to AI, pretty cool!

Wouldn't It Be Cool...

So I shamelessly admit I have entered the contest for tickets to the Stagecoach Festival. I have also entered both of the contests for the CMA Fan Fest (check CMT for a new contest with Keith Anderson as your tour guide!) If it involves airfare, a motel and passes - sign me up now! If I win, I will be there with bells on and cameras in tow. I promise to be a good fan and be on my best behavior, I will applaud all artists and treat them with respect. I also promise to treat fellow fans with respect unless they are extremely drunk and obnoxious - then I will treat them politely while evading their proximity as rapidly as possible.

So if I win, I will behave. I most certainly will. I will pack minimally (I only have so many Bucky shirts!) I will take my cameras everywhere and indulge the world with photos afterwards of my most excellent experience. I also promise to take far more photos of Bucky than of any other artist. I am not sure who I will take with me - perhaps the hubby, he is a big fan of country music. I might take my mom or my sister instead. They also love country music and have the added bonus of credit cards not attached to my own.

I know I am up against hundreds or even thousands of other entrants in these contests. I wish them good luck, but not quite as much good luck as I wish myself. I also expect the above behavior of them if they win. Indulge us all with photos (again heavy in the Bucky area) and behave in ways befitting a proper country fan. It would also be great if you wore Bucky t-shirts to the event - if you win and cannot find yours let me know and you can borrow mine. They are big, so should fit anyone either as a shirt or possibly a dress.

Wondering where to sign up to win the contests that I wish to win? Check out the following:

Indio CA - Stagecoach Festival Stagecoach Contest
CMT Ultimate Fan Experience CMT.com: The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience Sweepstakes
CMT Keith Anderson Contest CMT.com: C'mon to Music Fest with Keith Anderson Sweepstakes

And like I said earlier - good luck! (just not as much good luck as I wish myself...)

Check Check, One Two - Check

Yesterdays post was about the outdoor concert season (yippee!!!) One of the things that I appreciate about the outdoor venues is that they are seriously lacking in pre-show privacy. No disrespect to artists intended, but the outdoor venues allow the fans a more unique opportunity to see them a bit more casually. Specifically the outdoor venue sound check. I absolutely love watching the sound checks, things don't always go quite right and the artists may not be at their best, but it is a perfect chance for us to see that they in fact, are not perfect. A star at sound check is most definitely human, far more so than at any other point during the show. There is a wonderful vulnerability to watching them work as a team to get things just right before the big show. Thumbs up, down, fingers to the left and right. Everyone giving signals that would put baseball catchers and umps to shame, until the sound is just so. Sound check is also the perfect time to realize that the amps that just traveled halfway across the country to get here maybe didn't make the trip quite so safely. Sometimes stuff just plain old doesn't work after being broken down, loaded up, trucked to here from there, then hauled back off the truck. Again we get to see the vulnerability as a backup plan is quickly formulated for the end product, which as always is that "the show must go on".

So my word of advice is if you have a chance to catch Bucky or for that matter any of your favorite artists this summer in a festival setting, try and get there early and grab a seat. Watching the sound check is a rare treat that we are not often privy to. It also grants you a sampling of the upcoming show, some bonus photo ops, and the chance to share some "down" time with your favorite star and their band, seeing them just a bit more laid back, a bit more squirrelly, and often just a bit more wound up. Well worth arriving a bit early for!

Summer Lovin....

Spring is mostly here, and the spring/summer concert season filled with a bevy of outdoor festivals is rapidly approaching. This is definitely my favorite concert season - I love the laid back nature of the local fairs and festivals, and am looking forward to my first multi-artist multi-day event as well. I am not doing it big like others, no Nashville - I am going to settle for a little gig they have going in Oshkosh, WI called Country USA Country USA Music Festival - Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Looks like it should be an awesome time - surely it won't be nearly as cool as the whole Nashville experience, but it should run a close second - plus it is around 500 miles closer.

On the charts Bucky is looking good with "I'll Walk" sitting #62 and 63 on the Mediabase charts. Still haven't heard it locally, but I am waiting. The DJ says "not on our playlist yet" nod - uhuh. Well hurry it up! On a brighter note they have added Jason Michael Carroll's 3rd single off his debut album, "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" is getting fairly regular play and has been nailing it on the local Top 9 At 9 show. It well on it's way to the Top 10 on the charts as well, sitting at #28 on both the Mediabase charts today. Perhaps he is blazing a path for his former tour pal Bucky? Time will tell, but I really think "I'll Walk" has what it takes to move right on up.

You Want My Opinion?

It seems that everyone has an opinion about something. Politics, recycling, global warming, war, education, crime - all things quite worthy of having an opinion about. You may even wish to express your opinion through action, words or pictures. My opinions? Not into politics, need to work on recycling, worried about global warming, the war sucks, I have had enough education thank you - and crime is stupid. That said, I am not anticipating much fall out from my opinions. I don't expect pages of replies or hoards of new visitors coming to tell me what is what, and why.

Where, when and why do people voice their opinion about someone else's opinion? It seems that negative words bring that reaction, if I were to say "all dogs are horrible" I might fan a flame or two and elicit responses to both educate me that I am wrong. A couple folks may even chastise me for what I said. Of course if you hate dogs, you might well cheer me on and wish me luck in the battle against dogs. What does this have to do with anything you ask?

Well, it seems like Bucky fans have been spending a lot of time defending him these last few days. With new singles come new reviews, and reviews are opinions. Not all of these reviews for I'll Walk have been what I would call "glittering". Some are downright less than polite, nearly inciting riots in Bucky fans as they rush to the rescue. The strange thing about reading these reviews (opinions) is that we all read them different thus developing our OWN opinion of that opinion. Some of us may even interpret it differently than it was intended. From reading the reviews, I have learned that apparently overall talent has to do with if you can write your own songs. It also has to do with the plausibility of the story - could this happen, why or why not, and what is wrong with the picture. If someone doesn't like the way you look, you're voice probably doesn't even matter since their mind is set. Get your start on a reallity show? Yep, that takes away credibility too. Spent 10 years bumping around playing local gigs? Well, that apparently should lift you up to the all-star rank even if it was just playing with friends in local taverns. This just your first album? That doesn't matter either, the first should be the best. And it continues, blah blah blah (insert audio clip of Charlie Brown's teacher here.)

Someone somewhere (probably someone famous with credentials) once said "opinions are like xxxholes, everyone has one". Truer words have never been spoken if you ask me. That said, one other thing I have learned is that you shouldn't mess with Bucky fans. You pick on Bucky and you are going to have 50 of us knocking on your door before you hit the send key to post your thoughts. We will defend him, fight for him, argue for him and represent him. We don't give up easy, and we do have a voice, a very loud one. So you naysayers are entitled to your opinion, but don't be shocked if a couple dozen of us show up to share ours too.

Power Picks Loss, CMA Sweepstakes

Bucky did not pull off the Power Picks win today. Congrats to Trace - if we have to lose, might as well lose to someone Bucky has toured with. Check back early next week for more matches, if things continue the way they have we should have at least one match the upcoming week.

If you are trying to figure out how to swing that trip to the CMA Music Festival check out CMT.com: The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience Sweepstakes for a chance to win airfare, tickets, motel - the whole shebang. Looks like you can enter daily - I know I will be!

Bucky's next single is moving it's way up the charts even prior to it's big "release" (date still not determined). It is sitting pretty at #73 on the Top 500 chart and #66 weighted. Looks like this song is bound for Top 10 in no time!

CMA Fest, It's Good To Be Us

The official word is out for the big CMA Fest - Bucky is on for Sunday June 8th. Tickets are now on sale, both single day passes as well as event long passes. If you can make the Fest, be sure and tell Bucky I said HI!

IG2BU has officially gone recurrent on the Radio & Records charts, but is still receiving major airplay. Slowly stations are testing the waters with I'll Walk, and as mentioned it should be on your local station soon. Bucky's official website has also wrapped up the IG2BU Contest, congrats to the Florida Shine group! Hopefully everyone will enjoy a short break before we start pounding the pavement (and phone lines) for I'll Walk.

I should point out that this blog was created as a result of that same contest. I named the blog after the song, and have posted on the behalf of Team Wisconsin while continuing the blog. While the contest may be over, the friendships made both at BCO and on the individual teams will go on. It is my intention to continue the blog indefinitely and allow it to continue it's tribute to Bucky. Now I may deviate slightly. I am first and foremost a Bucky fan, but also appreciate other country music and artists. In fact I have Bucky to thank for my newfound "Honky Tonk Friend" status. Without Bucky I would not have discovered Jason Michael Carroll who I absolutely adore as well as Cole & Shade Deggs. Bucky has also brought me both Luke and Dierks, neither of which I would have pursued previously yet both of which I have gained an appreciation for. So thanks to Bucky - this will remain a Bucky fan blog but will also become just a little bit more from time to time.

Power Picks Match, Tour

Edited cleverly to change Bucky's daily photo to one that was NOT posted yesterday...


The dial up powers that be have graced me with the ability to post today, wahoo! Good thing too, as we have a Power Picks match this week that should be a difficult one for us to win. Wednesday brings us Bucky's "A Different World" going up against Trace Adkins "You're Gonna Miss This". For those of you that have not been watching the charts, that would be Bucky against the (now descending) most recent #1 hit from Trace. It is sitting at #1 and #2 on the Mediabase charts today, and should provide us with quite a challenge. Be sure to be ready on Wednesday at 11AM ET and recruit a dozen or so friends to help us out on this one. As the Power Picks voting window has been hacking up hairballs recently, please note a tip that was shared - hit F5 to refresh your screen.

Also if you have taken your blood pressure medication, feel free to chime in on an ongoing and heated discussion surrounding Bucky's next single, "I'll Walk" at Bucky Covington - “I’ll Walk” -- The 9513 . I personally do not take blood pressure medication, but felt a definite need for a consultation following the review and replies.

And lastly - if you have not yet had the chance, check Bucky's tour pages. The Throttle Wide Open tour is still going strong, and while Bucky's set may be short, the show is awesome and well worth the cost of a ticket. Be sure and catch Bucky, Luke and Dierks at a venue near you!

Technical Difficulties, I'll Walk

Technical glitches have left my delightful dial-up connection occasionally desiring not to do what it is supposed to do, dial-up. I apologize in advance for any days you visit the blog only to find no new post. It has been my mission since beginning this blog to post daily. It may not be an entirely relevant post, it may be short or overly opinionated - heck, it may even be without a picture (I try to avoid that faux pas too) but it is is still posted.

One website has posted that the release date for I'll Walk is (was?) April 14th. We have received no confirmation of that from Lyric Street, nor has it been mentioned on Bucky's official website or blog. That said, it is slowly but surely walking it's way up the charts. It sits tonight at #86 on the Top 500, and #72 on the weighted chart. Both are showing those beautiful bullets and it should be hitting your local airways any day now. Will post updates as they come (as my technical difficulties permit!)

Tour Updates, I'll Walk Starts to Climb

If you have not had a chance to do so in the past week or so, please check Bucky's tour page either at his official website or on his myspace (links to the right for both). Lots of dates have been added, and the outlook is good for most everyone! I personally have been inking in my upcoming dates with Bucky and urge everyone to do the same. Also if you have the opportunity - find a friend who is NOT a Bucky fan and bring them to a show with you! I have done that with 2 people (one vehemently dislikes the country genre) and have turned 2 fans so far with more hopefuls on the horizon. Basically if you can't sell it verbally - take them to a show and let Bucky do what he does best - sell himself. I have yet to see someone leaving a Bucky show with slumped shoulders and mumbling "well, that sucked...". It just doesn't happen. He has enough energy for the entire audience and emits it throughout the entire "experience" (doesn't that sound so much better than calling it a show?) So if you have a chance, bring someone along, let Bucky show them his stuff. I assure you those people will leave just as enthused as you and will continue to spread the word that everyone simply must see a Bucky show! (disclaimer: Bucky "experiences" are known to be highly addictive, blog author not responsible for delinquency, work missed, money spent or in any other way. One who seeks a Bucky "experience" assumes full responsibility and complete liability for oneself.)

Meanwhile over on the Mediabase charts, It's Good To Be Us is slowly making it's way backwards from it's top spot of #9 (hooray for breaking the top 10!) and I'll Walk is starting a slow crawl up the charts. It has not been officially added to stations as of yet, but they seem to be testing the waters and the results are very good! It now has a shiny new bullet and is up to #97 on the Top 500 chart and #83 weighted! To compare - last week the song was not even on the weighted list, and was #247 on the Top 500. This is shaping up just the way we hoped it would. It is moving up the charts, and it sounds like both the DJ's and the listening audience are liking it. Way to go Bucky on your 3rd single, and soon to be 3rd hit! And way to go fans for helping make it happen, as they would say down south - y'all are great!

Happy New Year?

Well, if April 17th was the one year anniversary of Bucky's CD release - does that make today New Years? I suspect in many ways it does, though there won't be hats or champagne or noise makers. Today Bucky starts his 2nd year, and faces new award opportunities, new touring locations and more challenges which he seems to take without so much as a second glance. He will surely be working on a video for I'll Walk which will immediately become the new fan favorite, and the imminent Top 10 Spot (did you say #1?) on the charts it will eventually reside in. So even though it is April 18th, in many ways it is indeed a new year.

As such, I am going to ask you, challenge YOU to be an even better Bucky fan than you were before. Each and every day new fans are born, from radio play, videos, and also through the concerts. If you happen to stumble across one of these new fans, please tell them they have joined a very special group. Also let them know they are now a fan of the best guy in country music. Let them know about the fan club too, nothing we like better than a newbie there who has freshly discovered Bucky. The enthusiasm is contagious, and is enjoyed by one and all. So this year - be a better Bucky fan.

Happy Anniversary Bucky!!!

Tomorrow is indeed the big day! We will celebrate Bucky's CD's 1st anniversary and think back about all that has happened in the past year. I know if you ask Bucky, it has been an amazing ride. The fans feel the same way and can never find enough ways to show their unending support. I know we each have our own memories of the past year - each fonder than the one before. I am going to try and list a few of the accomplishments from the past year. I invite everyone to reply with the many that I will miss, I am sure they number well into the hundreds so I will touch on just a few.

The past year has seen Bucky join not one, but 2 huge tours. From Raisin' the Bar with Jason Michael Carroll along with Cole Deggs & the Lonesome, to the current Throttle Wide Open tour with Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan, he has entertained us and gained many new fans while continuing to enchant those of us who were there "back in the day". He also had the amazing opportunity to join Trace Adkins on tour as well as Sawyer Brown. He even got to open for Kenny Rogers! Bucky has toured the US both by bus and by plane and is likely learning his way around menu's and their regional differences (gotta love that 'mashed potatos/smashed potatos' moment) and has certainly learned that his fans are as wide spread geographically as they are vast in numbers.

Bucky in his first year also gained a major tour sponsor, thank you Zippo! It is so great to see others seeing what we have been seeing all along. He has attended awards shows (CMAs, CMT Awards, and more) and has even received one - who can forget that golden mouse from CMT? His debut album blew off store shelves and has continued at a steady pace even a year later. He was honored as one of the Country Radio Seminar New Faces, and received many kudos for both his songs and their videos. He has managed to "keep it real". He loves each and every fan and takes time to show it. He performed live at the 2008 CMT Awards and has had numerous items up for bid this past year in charity auctions. Bucky's heart of gold knows no limits, he is always ready with a smile and looks at everyone as a true friend.

To our friend Bucky - you are truly one of a kind, we love you and support you and will continue to do so for many many years to come. Keep on keepin' on!

Power Picks Win, CMT One Country Auction

Yippee!!! We did it again, wrist braces and high fives to everyone! Bucky is two for two with no more matches this week. No word yet on next week, but I will be sure and post as soon as I find out any news!

CMT One Country is holding an auction post CMT Awards that has some awesome one-of-a-kind items up for bid. One that might catch your attention is a shirt which Bucky has graciously donated from one of his "pre-fame" performances on American Idol. The item is described as a jacket, but it sure looks like the shirt he wore for Real Good Man (I am sorry Tim McGraw, but every time I hear you sing it now, I see Bucky!) Be sure to check it out and take a peek at the other auctions as well CMTauctions.com - Country Music Television Auctions

The challenge issued yesterday is gaining some serious momentum on the official Bucky Covington message boards and the word is spreading on Myspace. Don't miss out on this opportunity to help boost Bucky's sales! April 17th is the 1 year anniversary of our favorite artists very first CD. Get out there and buy a copy for yourself, and buy one or two as gifts. No one to gift it to? Some fans are looking to send a copy overseas to the amazing soldiers who are working so hard to protect our freedom, others are going to "pay it forward" and gift one to a complete stranger to make their day. However you choose to celebrate the big day, make sure it includes a new Bucky CD!

Power Picks, CD Challenge, CMT (non)Awards

We have a Power Picks challenge Tuesday! Showtime is 11AM ET, so be front and center and have your clicking fingers ready. Looks like Bucky's It's Good To Be Us is up against Jack Ingram's Measure of a Man. Lets get everyone on board for this one and win it for Bucky!

Bucky fan's are issuing a challenge to all. April 17th is the 1 year anniversary of Bucky's freshman release of his most rockin self titled CD. Bucky is hovering around 350,000 sales give or take a few thousand, but the challenge is extended to one and all to celebrate the anniversary by purchasing a CD if you are able to, or even a couple (they make great gifts, honest!) If we can do this, we may be able to push it GOLD. I know of at least a handful of fans who will be celebrating the anniversary by boosting those sales, so we challenge YOU to do the same. Spread the word as well, the more the merrier as always!

Tonight brought us the long awaited and diligently voted for CMT Awards Show. I am sure that by now it is old news, but Bucky was nominated and Kellie Pickler took his award home. If I had to pick I would have chose Bucky to take the award home. Oh wait, I did pick. What the heck? I guess other people picked too. Anyhow - congrats to Kellie, and to Bucky - consider this your training for next year when we send that belt buckle home with you and hopefully many other awards!

Bucky Buzz Part Deux

I do have to say, that is one pretty spiffy bus that Bucky is touring around in now thanks to Zippo's generous sponsorship. In Rockford out of the three tour buses, only one stood out, only one was "wrapped", and only one was Bucky's. I did not get a chance to see Bucky near the buses, but I did see Don briefly (he was wearing shorts, and it was snowing out!) The security kept us moving along, so no lingering/stalking was allowed, but I was very grateful for the chance to take photos of the bus and said so to the poor shivering man stuck with outside security duty.

So I am still coming down from my "Bucky buzz". I have sorted through the pictures, and sure enough nearly half were not much to brag about. That leaves a lot though that I am working on sharing either via the blog or moving them to my photobucket, or both. If you click on the bus photo it will take you to the photobucket where you can check out what is being (slowly) added. Gotta love that dial up!

I am mildly bummed that Bucky and I will not be having another date until June or July. That may change if I choose to travel for one of our liaison 's, or if he chooses to schedule a show (or 3, I am not picky!) closer. I want to thank everyone in advance for the recaps and photos that will help to tide me over until then. I promise to repay the favor when the time comes. Have a great week!

My "Date With Bucky"

Tonight was the night of my long awaited "date with Bucky". I have to say other people showed up - maybe a couple thousand, but they did not detract too much from the evening. I do need to point out to those couple thousand people though - I did not come to see them. They need to sit down, or stand up - but they need to stay put. We had aisle seats - great for an unobstructed view - when it was unobstructed, which wasn't all that often. Apparently someone left a trail of popcorn from somewhere down yonder, to somewhere up yonder - which all the hamsters felt the need to follow repeatedly. The beer was flowing freely, so some of the hamsters dallied a bit en route, others stumbled, others simply stood there wondering what they should do (hint: move!). I am sure all these hamsters paid their way in as we did, but again I need to mention - I did not pay to see them. I paid to see Bucky, and got a bonus Luke and Dierks thrown in for good measure...


I did manage to take (gasp) 2063 pictures. I need to sift through them, which will surely cut the number in half (lots of pictures of those traveling hamsters). I got to use my shiny new camera - which sports a fantastic 28.7x optical zoom when maximized (wahoo!). Bucky's set was as mentioned in previous reviews - short, painfully so. It consisted of American Friday Night, A Different World, I'll Walk, Suspicious Minds, The Wall, It's Good To Be Us, and Bible & the Belt. I may have missed a song, and that is not the set order - but it was an excellent set nonetheless. The acoustic hiccups mentioned in other reviews were not audible, Bucky definitely played "over" the band rather than under, and it all came together nicely. I need to say I missed the Bucky/Rocky duet with Every Rose, but Rocky did step up during IG2BU and gave me a decent fix.

So nothing like starting in the middle...Luke actually started off the show. He has a fiddle player who rocked and made me wish I had caught one of the shows that Caitlin joined Bucky for. Luke's set was also short, but full of energy. He did treat us to Good Directions, which is the entire reason I brought Billy Currington's CD. I had no idea Luke wrote it, but it was great to hear him sing it! The main act, Dierks had a much larger following at the show and got everyone off their feet for most of his show. He is full of energy too, and complimented Luke and Bucky well. I am hoping watching him work the stage is a preview of Bucky once he gets to design his own stage sets. Dierks ran faster than I have ever seen anyone move in cowboy boots, and worked the crowd well. The finale - Folsom Prison brought all the boys back out. I had a spiffy video of it, until a diligent event staff member nailed me and made me delete it (she said she had to watch me do it!) I guess I don't think well under pressure because it is gone. Could have been worse, she could have asked for the memory card (Eeek!)

So the show rocked, it needed far more Bucky, but it still rocked. The meet and greet was short, but also awesome. We had to actually ride up the elevator to it and Terra was our escort, so had a chance to talk to her and gave her a pic of Rocky from a prior show which she appreciated. Did not see Katherine anywhere, but I am sure she was around someplace. Enough for now!

Top 5, Top 10 - What Next?

Congrats to Bucky on his first two singles going Top 20. A Different World made it to #5, and It's Good To Be Us #9. The numbers on Mediabase indicate that It's Good To Be Us may well have crested, and be starting it's descent back down the charts. Does this mean we should stop requesting Bucky? Is that all she wrote?

Heck no! Keep requesting, request It's Good To Be Us and request A Different World. Both are still getting well deserved airplay, and we absolutely love hearing Bucky's songs on the radio. By now many of us have even gotten to know our DJ's on a first name basis. Keep those relationships going! In just a few short weeks "I'll Walk", Bucky's next single will be hitting the airways and we will be pounding the pavement (and phone lines) to promote it. You're DJ relationships will once again come into play, so don't take them off speed dial or delete them from your email lists.

Keep requesting Bucky, but take a bit of a break and catch your breath - conserve your energy for the next big push. It's Good To Be Us enjoyed a nice loooong run on the charts, and I'll Walk deserves the same.

Power Picks Win, Last Chance!

I am absolutely thrilled to say that we (finally) won our Power Picks challenge today. Way to go all! This is a huge step for It's Good To Be Us, and may even help us nudge it back into the Top 20 Countdown. It is also a super way to kick off the weekend, but before you get too busy celebrating - head over to CMT and be sure and get your votes in for the CMT Music Awards. Your time runs out Friday night, so be sure and have your say NOW! Registration is free, and it is one vote per registered name - this makes it extremely important that each and every one of us gets our vote in.

On the heels of our Power Picks victory, we need some major help with radio requests for It's Good To Be Us. Our bullets are still missing, and showing very little hope for being resurrected without a major request campaign. That said remember the challenge issued yesterday - we have seen a lot of ups and downs on the chart, but we always bounce back. Pick up your phone and call your local DJ, let them know we need more "It's Good To Be Us". Lets get that bullet back and bring Bucky into the Top 10 again.

Personal side note - my "date with Bucky" is Saturday! I can't wait, promise recap and pics and more pics - I did score the increasingly endangered "Meet & Greet" pass too, yippee!

Request, Request, Request

These cute little faces are asking you to please call your local DJ repeatedly through the next few days and ask them to play "It's Good To Be Us" by Bucky Covington. Please remember to thank your most excellent DJ's for meeting your requests. We are losing plays left and right, so it is up to us to let the radio world know we are not ready for the decrease! We dipped into the Top 10, and darned if we don't belong there. We need to work to get back there though, and it is going to take a few days of hard work to do it.

I am issuing the same challenge that Buckymania! and The Covington Times have put forth. We together challenge you to call in your daily requests on your local and live stream stations and all the night time syndicated shows. I would like to also ask that you not forget those lunch hour all-request shows and the drive-time request shows. Each play counts, so request it where and when you can, as often as you can! Together as a group, we can push this song up up UP!!!

The cute little guys who are begging you today are the Bucky Buddies in progress. Watch later in the week for an update to the Buddies site as to what we have been doing, what we have going - and how much closer we are to our version of "The Big Give" (ok, it isn't so big, but it should mean a ton to the kids we can share it with).

Thursday Power Picks!

I almost thought we were going to go through a week with no Power Picks, but Thursday brings us a match of "It's Good To Be Us" against none other than Jason Aldean's "Johnny Cash" (again!). Looks like it will be the 2nd match, so be ready at 11AM ET Thursday and help click Bucky to victory!

A Little Help From My Friends

What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

What can you do to help Bucky get by? As his friend almost anything.

• As Bucky's friend you can help steer his 2nd single It's Good To Be Us to a #1 spot on the charts.
  
• As Bucky's friend you can work to put that CMT belt buckle in his hands April 14th by visiting CMT and voting for the CMT Awards.
• As Bucky's friend you can share the Bucky love by telling others about Bucky - thus creating even more Bucky's friends.
• As Bucky's friend you can continue calling your local DJ and requesting It's Good To Be Us.
• As Bucky's friend you can visit GAC and CMT and voice your opinion about Bucky's video for It's Good To Be Us.
• As Bucky's friend you can buy concert tickets and support Bucky at live venues throughout the US.As Bucky's friend you can join his fan club in a showing of support, and then score Meet & Greets so you can share some quality time with your friend.
• As Bucky's friend you can visit Bucky's American Idol Board and CMT Board and chat with even more Bucky's friends.
• As Bucky's friend, you can do anything you set your mind to.

What do I do when my love is away
(Does it worry you to be alone)
How do I feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)
No I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

Thank you to all of Bucky's friends for helping Bucky along his journey. It is one that he will never walk alone, nor will we as his fans. I sincerely hope that it is very long journey with many successes and many more friends on the horizon. This is just the beginning of a long relationship, and we were in on it from the beginning. Remember that as you see new fans smile as they recognize a Bucky song on the radio, or attend their first concert. With those new fans, our Buckaneer family will continue to grow.

(Would you believe in love at first sight?)
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time
(What do you think when you turn out the light?)
I can't tell you but I know it's mine
No I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

(Lennon/McCartney/Starr)

CMT Awards - Radio Requests

One week from tonight, we will hopefully be watching (or have just finished watching) Bucky graciously accept his very first CMT Award. This is one of the very few awards that is put in the artists hands strictly by fan votes. Please take a minute if you have not already and head over to CMT and cast your votes. You are running out of time to let your vote be counted. Voting closes this Friday! Please head over now, and ask your friends to do the same!

Also please don't forget to hook up with your local DJ either via phone or e-mail and request It's Good To Be Us. Our Mediabase charts are in serious need of a little extra lovin, just the kind that a few extra requests will give it.

Requests and Other Tasks

Starting off with a plea for you to call your DJ's and request It's Good To Be Us. We are still holding at #11 on both Mediabase charts, but the bullets are not doing so good and could use a little help. Please take a little time today and call your local station(s) throughout the day and request It's Good To Be Us.

What else can we do to help Bucky out? Check out Bucky over at CMT CMT.com : Bucky Covington : Artist Main. He has a message board there along with both his videos. Stream It's Good To Be Us while you are there (and any other time you get the chance). Stop over at the message board and say HI too. Feel free to join in on the conversations and make some new Bucky friends in the process. Doing all of these things will help us get Bucky back into the Top 20 Countdown, and help promote Bucky in the process.

While you are at it, head over to the AI Bucky boards and give a shout out. Lots of great Bucky fans there, and a great way to meet up with some old friends or make new ones. Lastly don't forget about GAC, get over there and get your vote in for It's Good To Be Us.

Have a great week!

Just the Usual Please.

One week from now, at about this time I should be offering at least a snippet of a recap from the Rockford show (aka my "date with Bucky"). Hard to believe it has been so long (November!) since I have "indulged". Within a week after my last show, I could not stand the thought of months Buckyless, but I survived fortunately and the big pay off is coming soon. Thanks much to the great Bucky support team over at BCO, I have had mini-doses to tide me over. If you are not yet an "official" member of Bucky's Fan Club, please check it out. The cost is minimal, and the benefits well worth it (meet & greets, contests, new friendships). An added bonus - and this is the biggie, you get to both view others concert photos and share your own if you wish, plus read great recaps that make it almost seem like you were right there in the crowd.

Waiting for your next Bucky show? What better way to pass the time than by showing your support. How does one do this you ask? Any number of ways, start by picking up your phone and placing a call to your local DJ. Give them a huge HI! and then ask them to play Bucky's current Top 10 Single, It's Good To Be Us. You can also slide over to CMT and GAC for the Top 20 Countdown's and have your say (hint: vote for It's Good To Be Us). Note that at CMT you have unlimited votes for Top 20, so vote now and vote often! Need a break from that? Mosey over to the CMT Award's page (link over there ---->) and while you are there - wait for it - vote for Bucky's It's Good To Be Us! Once you finish that up, give another shout to the DJ and thank him for playing It's Good To Be Us while you were doing all those tasks - then repeat the entire group of them (do not repeat the CMT Awards voting, it is once per registered screen name).

Shiny Sparkly Things!

That is a phrase I use when I am feeling extremely ADHD. Mind you I am not ADHD, but every once in a while I have the attention span of a toddler in a china shop. Today is one of those days. The weather was perfect, low 50s (downright tropical for Wisconsin!) and sunny. Light spring breeze, the robins were out and bullfrogs were harmonizing in ways only bullfrogs can. I simply cannot focus, I have 16 browser windows open (on dial up!) and for the life of me can't remember what half of them are - they were important though, just for a brief moment. Then something shiny and sparkly comes along, and I am off on the next mini-adventure for a minute or two (until the next new thing comes along).

Fortunately I managed to reign all this in ever so briefly for tonights conference call from Birmingham. I am sad to report that it was painfully short (made even shorter by knowing that it is the same trio of artists I am seeing next week, so Bucky's set will again be short). One a bright note, Bucky sounded fabulous on the parts I could hear, American Friday Night and I'll Walk were crystal clear, the others may or may not have been songs, may or may not have been Bucky - gotta love cell phones, sun spots, satellite dishes, and all the other things that end up in cahoots when you are trying to listen to a concert! I have similar experiences with the HDTV thing, we don't have cable or satellite, just rabbit ears. If the wind blows, or a car drives by, or a bird chirps out of tune - there goes the reception. Technology is wonderful, isn't it? (Did I mention shiny sparkly things??)

So thank you Hildi, Bunny and everyone else who works to put the conference calls together. It is appreciated, and I truly enjoyed the songs I could hear. The band sounded smokin' hot, and the crowd while small certainly sounded like they were having a great time. With any luck they will request It's Good To Be Us on their way home from the show, and tomorrow, and the day after. We sure could use the help, and a couple thousand new fans would sure do it. We still have our bullets, but they aren't going to help us hold on much longer. We need a big boost in the requests folks, if you can set aside even 5 additional minutes a day to dedicate to requests, it will make a huge difference. Keep in mind you are not doing it because I asked you to, or Winnie or Lisa or Bunny or even Hildi, you are doing it for Bucky. If he had the time to call you and ask you to request, he would - but he doesn't. We need to keep pushing It's Good To Be Us up the charts, I'll Walk is on the horizon and to have it come in on the heels of a #1 hit would ROCK. More tomorrow!

Holding at #11, Link to AI Clip

Starting off with the link to the clip from American Idol last night with Bucky, Bo Bice and Phil Stacey. While you are there, check out Bucky's other fabulous youtube videos (watch out for the Hatfield one though, just a bit of bad boy daredevil in those Covington twins!)
YouTube - American Idol Where are they Now? 4-02-08

It's Good To Be Us is still holding with rather small bullets at #11 on the Mediabase charts. Please remember to keep requesting! This is our Bucky we are doing it for, no different than the gazillion times we redialed 1-866-Idol (insert Bucky's number here) to vote "back in the day". He may not be in your living room every week now (one can wish though!) but he still needs your votes to keep It's Good To Be Us moving up the charts. Pick up your phone and call your local DJ and let him know who your vote is for. Email them, call them, send them a letter even - just let them know we want to hear more It's Good To Be Us.

Be sure to check in at Gone Country for another of Cathy Anne's great interviews - this time with who else but Bucky! It offers insight as to his issue with cheese (inconceivable to a Wisconsin girl) and she asks him many other great questions. Gone Country Magazine, Reviews, Interviews, Concert Listings

Lastly, if you have not yet - please please go over to CMT and vote for A Different World for USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year (that is a mouthful!) and also vote for Trey Fanjoy in the Video Director category. Trey has directed a number of great videos, including Bucky's A Different World.

Request, request, request!

I need to do the obligatory begging, please don't wait. Get on the phone and request It's Good To Be Us on your local country station. Bucky has hit #9 on the Billboard chart (wahoo!) but has dropped 2 spots on the Mediabase weighted chart. We need to up requests and keep fighting, this is a song that can and WILL become a Top 5 hit and hopefully even a #1. It won't happen without you though, Bucky's fans. Set a goal of calling 1x per shift to request, and ask for a friend or 5 to do the same. We can do this!!!

Today Bucky made his (albeit painfully brief) return to American Idol in a pre-recorded bit. If you did not get a chance to watch it or tape it, check YouTube in the next couple days. I am sure someone will post it. I will share the link here as well if someone happens across it. Thanks to the AI gang for the Bucky TV time!

On a personal front, just over a week left until my date with Bucky! I am so excited, I hope the M&G Goddesses shine down and give me a bit of one on one Bucky time. I will also be trying out a new camera which I am totally hyped about. More tomorrow!

Side note: today's pic is what you get if Bucky is cruising past to touch hands with fans, and instead of touching hands you blind him with your flash, sorry Bucky!

Charts, Requests, American Idol!

Power Picks are just not favoring Bucky the last couple weeks, glitches galore can be blamed for the majority, stiff competition to the remainder. Please remember to vote over at GAC and CMT for the It's Good To Be Us video for the Top 20 countdowns, and watch for more Power Picks matches.

Tomorrow evening will bring a welcome site into living rooms across the nation. While it may be a taped segment rather than live, Bucky Covington will be visiting American Idol along with Phil Stacey and Bo Bice. Set the tivo or DVR or VCR or whatever your recording means is for American Idol tomorrow night on FOX at 9PM ET.

I also want to take a moment and ask that everyone send warm thoughts and prayers to Elliot Yamin and family. Elliot's #1 fan, his mother Claudette Goldberg Yamin passed away Monday.

Time is quickly running out for your opportunity to say who gets the CMT Belt Buckle on April 14th. Head over to CMT and vote (requires free registration). Only we have the power to put that award in Bucky's hands, so please don't let this opportunity to vote pass you by.

Lastly giving a very BIG nudge to everyone to get those requests into their local DJs for It's Good To Be Us. We are sitting rather nicely on the charts currently, but our bullets are definitely lacking. Lets plump them up a bit and help drive It's Good To Be Us to that #10 spot!