Bucky's at Hooters: 'Nuff said?
By ROD HARMON
rod.harmon@heraldtribune.com
I know what you're thinking -- another "American Idol" contestant trying to make a stab at a music career. And he's not even the winner. Heck, he's not even a runner-up.
But there are good reasons to check out country artist Bucky Covington's acoustic set this week at Hooters of Bradenton sponsored by radio station WCTQ, and it's not just the chicken wings.
First of all, if the buzz about Covington's upcoming eponymous debut (due April 17 on Lyric Street Records) is any indication, this may be one of the last times to catch him in an intimate setting. His first single, "A Different World," is in the Top 30 of Billboard's country singles chart, and the accompanying video is in CMT's top 20.
Second, he rose through the ranks the old-fashioned way -- by giving up a job in his dad's auto-body shop to perform in smoky honky-tonks. No vocal coaches here. And he seems to have retained his humble, working-class demeanor.
"There are a lot of people in America who really work hard for their money," Covington said Monday in a phone interview from Nashville. "If you're going to spend your hard-earned money to see a show of mine, I want you to leave thinking it was worth every penny."
More reasons to see Covington:
1. He placed eighth in the fifth season of "Idol." Normally that would be a negative fact, but it meant that unlike Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks, he had to get a record contract on his own. (He had some help from Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown, who co-produced his debut CD with Dale Oliver of BlackHawk.)
2. Although his ties to "Idol" are now severed, he refuses to bad-mouth the judges, even notorious smarty-pants Simon Cowell. "Everybody knows he's a mean guy, da-da-da. But the thing is, I think he's a great TV personality. A lot of people watch that show just for him ... I had a great thing happen to me, and one of the reasons was, he's on the show."
3. Unlike the obligatory "American Idol" tour of last year, he'll be performing songs he picked himself, from slow ballads to "rockin' country." Expect to hear cover tunes and cuts from the upcoming CD.
4. He no longer has poofy hair. Ever since he told an "Idol" hairdresser to "do what you want" (a bad mistake no matter who you are), his hair-care regimen has consisted of washing it and shaking it dry.
5. He has an identical twin, Rocky (yes, both "Bucky" and "Rocky" are nicknames), and they don't switch identities. Well, except for a well-publicized incident in 1998 when Bucky pretended to be Rocky so the latter wouldn't get in trouble over a minor traffic accident. But they came clean.
6. In a court hearing involving the aforementioned traffic accident, the charges were dropped because the plaintiff couldn't tell the twins apart when asked to identify the defendant. That's not something Bucky had any control over, but it's a fun fact nonetheless.
7. He's so dang laid-back. "I don't worry about stuff, because worrying about things never changes anything. Either fix it or screw it."
8. He practices his moves in front of a mirror. Still.
9. The concert is at Hooters. "The best thing about Hooters? The orange shorts. I know everybody says the chicken wings, but my Lord, look at the shorts!"
10. Did I mention the concert is at Hooters? "When someone says that (the best thing about Hooters are the wings), I just look to see where his wife is standing. Because she has to be standing right next to him."
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