CMT Blog: Bucky Covington

Hindsight is 20/20. You don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone. And all those other clichés about retrospectiveness. They all make for good country music. But now that Kenny Chesney has moved away from songs about wanting things to be like they used to be (“The Good Stuff,” “There Goes My Life” and “Don’t Blink”), it’s time for someone else to pick up that lyrical slack. And Bucky Covington’s just the guy. When you throw his rich drawl into this message of pining for the past, as he does on his new single “I Want My Life Back,” it sounds so heartfelt that I can hear the yearning in his voice. He seems to have really mastered that throaty Kid Rock sound on this latest tune. Plus, any time you open a story with a guy who has holes in his shoes and is pouring whiskey in his coffee, it is hard to resist.

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Three bona fide country videos, along with an Americana-country hybrid, showed up and threw themselves on the mercy of the CMT New Video Evaluation Team this week. There are pickup trucks in three of these four videos, and there would have been one in the fourth, if it didn’t consist entirely of stage performance footage.

Artist: Billy Ray Cyrus
Video: “Back to Tennessee”
Director: Declan Whitebloom

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As Brent Keith made his way out to judges Simon, Paula, Kara and Randy, to try his shot at becoming the next American Idol, I thought he looked rather familiar. As I sat there watching his audition, I tried to figure out where I had seen his face and heard his voice. Then it hit me. This handsome young man had performed on Unplugged at Studio 330 a couple of years ago around the same time CMT released Dale, its movie about legendary racecar driver Dale Earnhardt. Keith sang the theme song, “Looking for a Road.” But I hadn’t heard anything more from Keith until now. Already, he’s paved his way through the grueling weeks of Hollywood and has become one of American Idol’s top 36 contestants for season eight. This opportunity has surely faired well for other country AI contestants who’ve gone on to pursue country music like Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Josh Gracin and Bucky Covington to name a few. Tonight we’ll find out if his Tuesday night (Feb. 17) performance of Jason Aldean’s “Hicktown” is enough to keep him in the competition. Perhaps Brent Keith has finally found the road he’s been searching for all along.

I’ve heard Kenny Chesney do Conway Twitty. Dierks Bentley do Johnny Cash. Miranda Lambert do Steve Earle. Darius Rucker do Hank Williams Jr. Tim McGraw do David Allan Coe. And Luke Bryan do John Anderson. And I love when country stars cover other country stars, much more so than, say, Martina McBride doing a Journey song or Joe Nichols trying to pull off Nickelback’s “Rockstar. ” But all those country singers getting covered have legend cred. They’re seasoned artists who’ve been around long enough to earn a spot in a newer artist’s set list. But lately, I’ve been noticing very current, very contemporary artists getting covered.

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All I have to hear is a little piano and then “we were 18, it was prom night” and my inner voice screams, “Ohmygodilovethissong.” And then I turn the volume from soft to a full-on blare in about two seconds. That’s because “I’ll Walk,” Bucky Covington’s newest single, is my newest turn-it-up song.

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The IEBA’s (International Entertainment Buyers Association) annual conference is in Nashville this week, and last night (Oct.12), the group of music business folks held a special showcase at the Stage on Broadway. The rapid-fire show featured some big names in a three-songs-and-you’re-done format that made for a few surprises. Here’s a short list of highlights …

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This is no old plywood boat with a 75 Johnson and an electric choke. Take a look at the vintage yacht Alan Jackson used to get up the Cumberland River for his CMA show last Saturday.

Look who showed up near Mayberry. This rare photo of Brad Paisley and Andy Griffith has them working together in North Carolina on a video for Paisley’s “Waitin’ On A Woman” video.

OMG, Jessica is so not happy that Carrie and Tony still text and email each other. It’s like 7th grade all over again. Let the hair-pulling begin.

Eight is enough? After Sara Evans marries Jay Barker, they’re considering having one more baby to add to their brood of seven kids.

This kid will get the world’s tiniest backstage pass. Keith Urban wants the baby to tour with him, so he doesn’t miss any firsts.

As soon as Bucky Covington finishes up his first marriage, he may make an honest woman out of his current girlfriend, Katherine.

Scheduling conflicts have forced Miley Cyrus to cancel today’s show for Wal-Mart employees. Make that 15,000 disappointed Wal-Mart employees.

Everybody burps. But it’s nice to hear someone as gorgeous Carrie Underwood admitting to such an ugly little secret.

Forget about her new country album. Jewel has already sold more than 18 million albums, earning her an industry career milestone award.

When Billy Ray Cyrus calls, Bucky Covington picks up. So now Bucky’s got himself a part in the new Hannah Montana movie that the Cyrus’ are filming in Tennessee.

Jessica Simpson on blonde moments, Tony Romo and how country music feels like warm peach cobbler.

So far, American Idol has introduced two successful female singers into the country format - Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler. Unfortunately, time has run out on the guys. A finalist from the 2007 season, Phil Stacey has sold just over 25,000 copies of his self-titled debut album in the month since its release. Josh Gracin, who came in fourth in 2003, isn’t faring much better - less than 45,000 in two months. The debut CD by Bucky Covington, the 8th place finalist of season six, started strong with “A Different World,” but stalled at 345,000 units. Not bad, I guess, considering the current record-buying climate. However, country still hasn’t had a male crossover champ yet - how long until Taylor Hicks, David Cook or Ruben Studdard gives Nashville a try?

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If there’s one thing Danielle Peck loves more than singing, it’s her family. That’s one reason she became the spokesperson for Nashville’s Safe Haven homeless shelter.

“Safe Haven is one of only two homeless shelters in Tennessee that takes in the whole family as a unit,” she says. “Because I’m such a big family person, it made sense to get involved with a place that helps whole families together. I just fell in love with the whole place. They do so much — they keep the kids in school, [they have] budgeting and skill classes for the parents, and they get parents that are out of work back into work. And the success rate is like 84 percent of all the families they take in. That’s incredible!”

On March 24, the “Findin’ a Good Man” singer headlined the second annual Danielle Peck and Friends Benefit Concert for Safe Haven at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville. Performers include Keith Anderson, Eric Church, Bucky Covington and Carolyn Dawn Johnson.

“We’re raising awareness and making money for [Safe Haven] to continue doing what they do, because it’s not a government-funded place,” says Peck. “Anybody who’s ever had to go through hard times, whether it’s a natural disaster or too many medical bills or the loss of a job, their family can find themselves in a position where they lose their homes. It’s a terrible thing to happen to anybody, but there’s a place that tries to help out, and that’s Safe Haven.”

Peck is so sold on the shelter, she volunteers there as often as possible throughout the year. “Anything I can ever do for them, any holiday, any festival, they’ve got my number, they can count me in!”