Sorry, did fall asleep. Ok, I'll assume you want a melee fighting bard to serve as back up Fighter or even a replacement for one, based on the original post. I'll do it with longsword, feel free to adjust to a more unique weapon later.
Stats: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 18
Race: Human
Progression: Bard 6 --> Crusader 2 --> Bard x (if it goes to high levels, you may want to add two more Crusader levels towards the end for BAB +16 and a fourth attack)
Feats
Level 1: Force of Personality (cha instead of wis on mind-affecting will saves; CAdv), Melodic Casting (Perform instead of Concentration, cast spells and UMD while performing; CMage)
Level 3: Song of the Heart (+1 bonus/DC for all musics, basically; ECS)
Level 6: * Multiple options
Levels 7-8: Crusader 2.
Level 9: Song of the White Raven (multiclassing feat, swift inspire courage; ToB)
* (Note, all of these are good feats to have eventually)
Option 1: Haunting Melody (ECS) - Take the Never Outnumbered skill trick and keep intimidate maxed out. Enjoy making scores of enemies shaken with the melody, then wading in and scaring them off with intimidate (fear stacks), granting yourself and allies AoO's as they flee for a round
Option 2: Snowflake Wardance (Frostburn) - Requires perform (dance) ranks, lets you add cha to attack rolls on top of str. If going this route, maybe work towards the Dervish prestige class. Also, you can't use a shield with this feat, so you may want to go for Two Weapon Fighting.
Option 3: Battle Dancer (PH2) - Just generally useful, as long as you move 5 ft or attack it remains active, if you do both on any given round while your music is active, you get +2 attack.
Variant: If you don't have Tome of Battle, replace the Crusader levels with Paladin levels and Song of the White Raven with the Devoted Performer feat. If you don't feel like doing alignment limbo, just use Paladin of Freedom (UA or here:
Variant Character Classes :: d20srd.org) and save a feat.
Spells Known:
Level 0: Pick up Prestidigitation, Message, Detect Magic, and whatever else you like
Level 1: Pick up Inspirational Boost, Joyful Noise (SpC), Grease (just cause), and whatever else you like. Consider Phantom Threat and Critical Strike (both SpC)
Level 2: Pick up Bladeweave, Sonorous Hum (SpC), Alter Self (if not banned, as it should be), and whatever else you like. Consider Sonic Weapon, Mindless Rage, Battle Hymn, and Warcry (all SpC), and Mirror Image and Suggestion.
Maneuvers (5 known, 5 readied, 2 granted):
1 Vanguard Strike (DS, Strike)
1 Douse the Flames (WR, Strike)
2 Mountain Hammer (SD, Strike)
2 Shield Block (DS, Counter)
2 Battle Leader's Charge (DS, Strike)
Stances (2 known, RotM gained at Crusader 2):
1 Martial Spirit (DS) or 1 Leading the Charge (WR)
3 Roots of the Mountain (SD) (readied)
Gear: Work towards a Crystal Echoblade, make it +1, and add Harmonizing (all MIC), and at that point try to retrain Melodic Casting. For armor, you want Mithral Breastplate. Stats that need improving are cha, dex, con, and maybe str, basically in that order.
Skills: Perform (dance for Snowflake Wardance, oratory or singing otherwise), UMD, and Tumble are necessary, Intimidate, Bluff, and Diplomacy are nice to have. Not much need for Concentration as long as you have Melodic Casting. Since your int isn't high, consider trading bardic Knowledge for Jack of All Trades (basically, use half your bard level as fake ranks in skills if you have less actual ranks in them).