By Preston Knight -- Daily Staff Writer

BERRYVILLE — For different reasons and at different times, Bucky Covington brought the Long sisters to tears.

When the Rockingham, N.C., native was voted off — or kicked off, he calls it — "American Idol" in 2006, Cheyenne Long, 11, cried. Two years later, upon first hearing Covington's latest single on country radio, "I'll Walk," Ryan Long, 18, found herself in tears, too.

At the Clarke County Fair on Saturday night, the sisters, from Capon Ridge, W.Va., saw the man who had made them cry. They appeared to have kept their emotions in check this time.

For the rest of the rowdy crowd, there was no reason to shed tears. Covington, who will go to work on his second album in October, treated them to a concert that included all the sure-fire ways to win spectators over — numerous shout outs to Virginia, bringing a little girl onstage during one song and covering pieces from some of country and classic rock's big guns, such as Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Pink Floyd.

"I think he's a great singer," said Penny Huffman, of Winchester.

Her twin daughters, Katlyn and Megan Valencia, 11, were drawn to Covington by something they have in common with him.

"He has a twin," Huffman said, referring to one of the singer's drummers.

Winchester residents Lorrie Fauver and Francie Oates served food all week with the Clarke County Ruritan Club. Concert tickets and a chance to meet Covington were their reward at week's end.

"This is our bonus," Fauver said as she waited in line to meet the singer.

Many in the audience, though, had hunted hard for tickets to the show. John Gordon, of White Post, said the singer's appeal to the county was easy to see.

"He's country," he said.

Sure enough, Covington, recognizable from a mile away because of his shoulder-length blond hair, touted that part of his character during the concert, explaining that one of the best things about being on "Idol" was the chance to travel. He said he worked a long time at an auto body shop a mile from his house and saw little else of America beyond his small hometown.

Also, it never hurts to drop the word NASCAR on an audience in the Shenandoah Valley. At one point during the concert, Covington counted to three and asked those in attendance to shout the name of their favorite driver.

Mark Miller, the lead singer of Sawyer Brown, gave Covington a chance in country music by producing his first album. Covington said Miller called him the day after he was voted off "Idol."

The result has been the opportunity to tour to such places as Clarke County, though not everyone on this night cared about the career path Covington took to get there. A certain bold British judge on the TV show was on at least one audience member's mind as she waited for the performance to begin.

"I don't watch [the show]," said Becky Smith, of Winchester. "I can't stand Simon [Cowell]. There's only so much a person can take of that."

Covington, on the other hand, she can tolerate.

"He's very nice looking," Smith said.

* Contact Preston Knight at pknight@nvdaily.com