Idol Chatter & Voice Views

If you’re a fan of American Idol and country music in York County, you might be feeling a little left out right about now.

The York Fair has announced grandstand concerts featuring Kelly Clarkson, the original Idol, and David Cook, last year’s winner.

But what about a country act with an Idol link?

Well, it won’t be the grandstand, but country star Bucky Covington is scheduled to come to the fair for a 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, show on the Great Country Radio Stage (formerly known as the free stage).

Bucky listed the tour date on his Web site a couple of days ago; WGTY programming director Scott Donato confirmed the show date and time Wednesday morning.

“We’re thrilled to get someone of Bucky’s caliber,” Donato said. “We worked hard to get him.”

Hey, and talk about great timing. That York show is just days after Bucky’s second CD is supposed to hit stores on Sept. 8.

Bucky finished eighth on season five of Idol, then released a self-titled debut album that produced three hits, “A Different World,” “It’s Good to be Us” and “I’ll Walk.”

You can hear all three of those songs and Bucky’s latest hit, “I Want My Life Back,” on his MySpace page.

The full lineup for the Great Country Radio Stage will be announced July 7, Donato said.

Meanwhile, tickets are still available for the shows featuring Kelly (Friday, Sept. 11) and David (Friday, Sept. 18), as well as Trace Adkins (Tuesday, Sept. 15) and comedian Jeff Dunham (Saturday, Sept. 19).

Fair vice president Gene Schenck admitted to “some trepidation” about how York Fair grandstand ticket sales would do this year given the state of the economy. But he said the fair has been “doing very well with all our tickets. People seem to be buying normally, the way they have in any year.”

The fair expects to announce two more grandstand acts — for Saturday, Sept. 12, and Thursday, Sept. 17 — in the next few weeks, according to entertainment director Cres Ottemiller.