An upcoming show in Hamlet this October is drawing people from all over the country.
Joining forces to kick off the new season at the Cole Auditorium at Richmond Community College are two North Carolina Piedmont natives, Bucky Covington and Kellie Pickler, who have hit the big time in country music thanks in part to “American Idol.”
Tickets for the Friday, Oct. 26, event are sold as general admission, first come, first served seating in three pricing categories. Patrons will not be selecting a certain seat but range of seats in which to sit. Tickets for the first five rows of seats are $50, then ticket prices drop to $35 then $25. The two also perform on Oct. 25.
“We have had people from as far away as Iowa and Florida ordering tickets,” said Joey Bennett, director at Cole Auditorium. “We have been telling people from out of the area that the Friday show will be the day before the Seaboard Festival in Hamlet, hoping that they will stay in town and join us at the Seaboard Festival. We have had ‘Buccaneers’ that had attended over 100 of Bucky’s concerts.”
For Covington, one of Richmond County’s most famous former residents, this will be his first time performing on the Cole stage.
Covington helped to energize and bring the county together in 2006 as he performed on the hit TV reality singing contest “American Idol.” Votes from Richmond County helped him to place eighth in the show’s fifth season. Since then, Covington has remained an icon that has helped put Richmond County on the map. Covington’s country hits include “It’s Good To Be Us,” “I Wanna Be That Feeling,” “Gotta Be Somebody” and “A Different World.”
Season Five of “American Idol” seemed to be a showcase for North Carolina talent. In addition to Covington, another young, talented singer from our area — Pickler — made a big impression. Pickler remained on the show two more weeks after Bucky placing sixth in the competition.
Pickler’s southern charm and bubbly personality made her a favorite of the fans nationwide. Pickler, a former Miss North Carolina contestant, hails from nearby Albemarle. Pickler’s string of hits include the Top 20 hits “Red High Heels,” “Best Days of Your Life” with Taylor Swift, “Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind” and “I Wonder.” Kellie’s first two albums quickly established her as both a singer and songwriter to be reckoned with, co-writing her hits “Red High Heels,” “I Wonder” and the Top 10 hit “Best Days of Your Life,” which sold more than one million single downloads. Each album showed growth not only as an artist but also as a woman, said critics. Pickler and Covington continue to make North Carolina proud.
The North Carolina Hometown Country show featuring Pickler and Covington will be presented on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Cole Community Series. DeWitt Series tickets will be honored only for Oct. 25 .
Tickets can be purchased now by calling the Cole Auditorium Box Office at 910-410-1691, by e-mailing coleaud@richmondcc.edu, or by visiting the Box Office located inside the Cole Auditorium on the campus of Richmond Community College at 1042 W. Hamlet Ave, Hamlet. VISA and MasterCard accepted via telephone or check, cash, VISA or MasterCard accepted at the Box Office. Box office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@heartlandpublications.com.
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