Darius Rucker

American musician (born 1966)

Darius Rucker

Rucker at the Daytona International Speedway in 2020

Background information
Birth name| Darius Carlos Rucker
Born|  (1966-05-13) May 13, 1966 (age 59)
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Genres|

* Rock
* pop
* country
* R&B
* blues[1]
* alternative rock[2]

Occupations|

* Singer
* songwriter
* musician

Instruments|

* Vocals
* guitar

Years active| 1986–present
Labels|

* Atlantic
* Hidden Beach
* Capitol Nashville

Member of| Hootie & the Blowfish
Spouse|

Beth Leonard

(m. 2000; div. 2020)​

Musical artist

Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966)[3] is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carolina along with Mark Bryan, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, and Dean Felber. The band released five studio albums with Rucker as a member and charted six top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Rucker co-wrote most of the songs with the other members of the band.

His debut studio album, an R&B record titled Back to Then (2002) was released through Hidden Beach Recordings. Six years later, Rucker signed to Capitol Nashville as a country singer and released his second album, Learn to Live (2008). Its first single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It", peaked at number one on Hot Country Songs chart, making it the first song by a Black artist to do so since Charley Pride in 1983. It was followed by three similarly successful singles: "It Won't Be Like This for Long", "Alright", and "History in the Making".

In 2009, he became the first Black American to win the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association, and the second Black person to win any award from the association. His third album, Charleston, SC 1966, was released on October 12, 2010. The album included the number one country singles, "Come Back Song" and "This". His fourth album, True Believers (2013), reached number 2 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the singles "True Believers", "Wagon Wheel", and "Radio". His first country Christmas album, Home for the Holidays (2014) reached number 31 on the US Billboard 200\. His sixth album, Southern Style (2014) reached number 6 on the Billboard 200, supported by the singles "Homegrown Honey" and "Southern Style". His seventh and eighth studio albums, When Was the Last Time (2017) and Carolyn's Boy (2023) followed thereafter.

## Early life

[edit]

Rucker was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina.[4] His single mother, Carolyn, a nurse at Medical University of South Carolina, raised him with his three sisters and two brothers.[5] According to Rucker, his father was never around, and Rucker saw him only before church on Sundays.[6] His father was in a gospel band called The Traveling Echoes.[6] Rucker has said that he had a typical Southern African-American upbringing.[4] His family attended church every Sunday and was economically poor; at one point, his mother, her two sisters, his grandmother and 14 children were all living in a three-bedroom house.[4] But he says that he looks back on his childhood with very fond memories.[4] His sister, L'Corine, recalled that singing was always his dream.[4]

## Hootie & the Blowfish

[edit]

Darius Rucker has been the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish since its formation in 1986. He met fellow band members Mark Bryan, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld,[4] and Dean Felber while attending the University of South Carolina. Bryan first heard Rucker singing in the shower, and the two became a duo, playing R.E.M. covers at a local venue.[7] They later recruited Felber and finally Sonefeld joined in 1989.[7] As a member of Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker has recorded seven studio albums: Cracked Rear View (1994), Fairweather Johnson (1996), Musical Chairs (1998), Scattered, Smothered and Covered (2000),  Hootie & the Blowfish (2003), Looking for Lucky (2005) and Imperfect Circle (2019), also charting within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 six times.[8] All six albums feature songs that Rucker, Bryan, Felber, and Sonefeld wrote. As the frontman, Rucker began to be called simply "Hootie" by fans,[9] though the band title combines the nicknames of his college friends.[5] Before his rise to fame, he lived in the basement of the Sigma Phi Epsilon house at the University of South Carolina, attempting to launch his career through the college bar scene.

Rucker's signature contribution to the band is his baritone voice, which Rolling Stone has called "ingratiating,"[10] TIME has called "low, gruff, [and] charismatic,"[6] and Entertainment Weekly has characterized as a "barrelhouse growl."[11] Rucker said they "flipped" the formula of the all black band with a white frontman, like Frank Sinatra performing with Count Basie.[9] Musically, he has sometimes been criticized or spoofed for not being "black enough".[7] Saturday Night Live ran a sketch of Tim Meadows playing Rucker leading beer-drinking, white fraternity members in a counter-march to Louis Farrakhan's Million Man March.[6][12] He also received death threats for singing the Hootie song "Drowning," a protest song against the flying of the Confederate flag above the South Carolina statehouse.[6]

Shortly after gaining a measure of fame, Felber and Rucker (who consider themselves best friends) moved into an apartment in Columbia, South Carolina.[7] With Rucker's recognition as the frontman of a successful band came increased opportunities. In October 1995, he was asked to sing the national anthem at the World Series.[12] Frank Sinatra invited him to sing at his 80th birthday party; he sang "The Lady Is a Tramp."[13] That same week, he made a voice cameo in an episode of the sitcom Friends.[12] He also joined Nanci Griffith on the song "Gulf Coast Highway" for her 1997 album Blue Roses from the Moons,[14] and sang backing vocals on Radney Foster's 1999 album See What You Want to See.[15] He encouraged Atlantic Records to agree to a deal with Edwin McCain and made a guest appearance on McCain's debut album, Honor Among Thieves.[16]

In regard to the future of Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker was quoted by CBS news as stating in late 2011, "I don't think we'll ever break up totally. We're Hootie & the Blowfish. ... We'll make another record and do another tour someday. I don't know when, but it will happen. There's one more in us."[17] After a ten-year hiatus, Rucker and the band announced that they would be touring with Barenaked Ladies in 2019 while also releasing a new album that same year.[18]

Their sixth studio album Imperfect Circle was released on November 1, 2019.[19]

## Solo career

[edit]

Rucker at Yokota Air Base in Japan, May 2004

In 2001, he made his solo R&B debut album, The Return of Mongo Slade, for Atlantic Records. Because of contractual changes, it was never released by the label.[20] Hidden Beach Recordings, an independent label, acquired the masters from Atlantic and released the album as Back to Then in July 2002.[20] The album included work from the production team of Jill Scott, and she made an appearance on the track "Sometimes I Wonder."[21] The single "This Is My World" was featured in the 2001 comedy film Shallow Hal. In regards to the album, "That was just a minute in my life," he later told The Arizona Republic about the record. "I was listening to a lot of Notorious B.I.G. and Lauryn Hill at that time, and I wanted to make a neo soul record."[22] He also said in the article that he doesn't anticipate recording an R&B-styled disc again. "Country music is my day job now. I'll probably do this till it's all over, but that album was a lot of fun."[22]

Rucker appeared on a pop-star edition of the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in July 2001.[23] He also portrayed a singing cowboy in a television commercial for the fast-food company Burger King, promoting its TenderCrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch sandwich in 2005. In the commercial, he sang a jingle set to the tune of "The Big Rock Candy Mountains".[24] In 2006 Rucker lent his voice to the track "God's Reasons" written by Dean Dinning and Joel A. Miller for the film The Still Life.

### Country music

[edit]

#### 2008–2009: Learn to Live

[edit]

In early 2008, Rucker signed to Capitol Records Nashville as the beginning of a career in country music. His first solo single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" (which he co-wrote with Clay Mills) debuted at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for the week of May 3, 2008. It is the first single from his second album, Learn to Live. For this album, Rucker worked with Frank Rogers, a record producer who has also produced for Brad Paisley and Trace Adkins.[25] Rucker also made his Grand Ole Opry debut in July 2008.[26][27] The single reached number one in September,[28] making Rucker the first solo, African-American artist to chart a number one country hit since Charley Pride's "Night Games" in 1983.[29]

Rucker sings to a crowd during an Operation Pacific Greetings tour concert.

Learn to Live was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 6, 2009, and received a platinum certification on August 7, 2009.[30] The album's second single, "It Won't Be Like This for Long", spent three weeks at the top of the country chart in mid-2009. Its follow-up, "Alright", became Rucker's third straight No. 1 hit, making him the first singer to have his first three country singles reach No. 1 since Wynonna in 1992.[31] The album's fourth single, "History in the Making" was released in September and peaked at No. 3.[32] The singles also crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 35, 36, 30 and 61.[33]

> "You see a lot of people doing a one-off, saying, 'This is my country record.' But this is a career I'm trying to build. The people that say that they don't get it, I'll let the music speak for itself. I plan to do a lot of country records."[34]

—Rucker, Billboard, 2008

Billboard magazine said that "there's a sense of purpose that makes Rucker feel like a member of the country family, rather than calculating interloper."[35] Rucker made visits to various country stations around the United States, explaining that he was aware that he was the "new kid on the block."[36] Mike Culotta, the program director of Tampa, Florida, radio station WQYK-FM expected that Rucker would be "somebody who would have entitlement," but instead said that "Darius engaged everybody."[37] When Rucker found that "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" went to number one, he cried.[38] On November 11, 2009, Rucker won the Country Music Association New Artist of the Year award (formerly known as the Horizon Award), making him the first African American to do so since the award was introduced in 1981.[39] Only one other African American has won at the CMAs: Charley Pride, who won entertainer of the year in 1971 and male vocalist in 1971 and 1972.[40]

#### 2010–2011: Charleston, SC 1966

[edit]

Rucker released his second country album, Charleston, SC 1966, on October 12, 2010. The title is inspired by Radney Foster's solo debut album, Del Rio, TX 1959.[41] Its first single was "Come Back Song,"[42] which Rucker wrote with Chris Stapleton and Casey Beathard.[43] It was his fourth country number one as well as a No. 37 hit on the Hot 100.[32][33] The album's second single was "This", which was released to radio in November 2010 and also reached No. 1 in the country chart.[44] Rucker wrote it with Rogers and Kara DioGuardi. "I Got Nothin'" was the album's third single, peaking at No. 18. Also included on the album is a duet with Brad Paisley titled "I Don't Care".[45] Charleston, SC 1966 received a gold certification.[46]

#### 2012–2014: True Believers

[edit]

On May 20, 2011, Rucker delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of the Medical University of South Carolina.[47]

On December 14, 2011, CBSnews.com reported that Rucker was working on a third country album with recording set to begin January 2012 followed by the release of the album early in the year.[17] The album's lead-off single, "True Believers," made its chart debut in September. On October 12, 2012, Rucker told Broadway's Electric Barnyard that his album would also be titled True Believers.[48] "True Believers" peaked at No. 18. Its second single is a cover of Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor's "Wagon Wheel" (previously made famous by Old Crow Medicine Show), featuring backing vocals from Lady Antebellum. "Wagon Wheel" reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart in May 2013. True Believers was released on May 21, 2013. The album's third single, "Radio", was released to country radio on July 22, 2013. The album's fourth single, "Miss You", was released to country radio on February 3, 2014.

On October 2, 2012, Rucker was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry. Halfway through his set at the Opry that night he answered questions from the audience which included a question from Brad Paisley. Paisley said: "I have two questions. One, are you still the worst poker player in the world? And two, would you like to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry?" Rucker accepted, and it became official on October 16.[49]

Rucker was a featured performer at the C2C: Country to Country festival in London on March 17, 2013, which was headlined by Carrie Underwood.[50]

On News Year's Day 2013. he sang the national anthem at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

On May 11, 2013, Rucker was the speaker at the commencement ceremony for the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Before his speech, he received an honorary doctorate of music.

Rucker also sang the national anthem at the NBA finals on June 16, 2013.

On December 6, 2013, it was announced that Rucker's version of "Wagon Wheel" had earned him a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. At the awards ceremony on January 26, 2014, Rucker won, becoming only the third African American recording act (the first being Charley Pride, the second being The Pointer Sisters) to win a vocal performance Grammy Award in a country music category.

#### 2014–2015: Southern Style and Home for the Holidays

[edit]

On August 25, 2014, Rucker released a new single titled "Homegrown Honey" to country radio and to digital retailers. It served as the lead single to his fourth country studio album, Southern Style, released on March 31, 2015.[51] It reached No. 2 on the Country Airplay chart in April 2015. The album's second single, the title track, released to country radio on May 4, 2015.

On September 15, 2014, it was announced that Rucker had completed his first Christmas album and that it would be released on October 27, 2014. Included is a collaboration with Sheryl Crow on "Baby, It's Cold Outside".[52] May 30, 2015, Rucker headlined Philadelphia's famous XTU 31st Anniversary Show at the Susquehanna Bank Center. Christopher Bousquet named President of the Hootie fan club

Rucker makes an appearance on Sister Hazel's 2016 album, Lighter in the Dark.[53]

#### 2016–present: When Was the Last Time and Carolyn's Boy

[edit]

On January 6, 2016, Rucker announced that he was working on his fifth country album. The album's lead single, "If I Told You", was released to country radio on July 5, 2016.[54] It reached number one in the Country Airplay chart nearly a year later, and peaked at number four on the Hot Country Chart. Rucker also returned to the C2C: Country to Country festival in the UK in March 2017, where he was second on the bill to Reba McEntire.

On May 29, 2016, Rucker performed the national anthem prior to the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.[55] Rucker also performed the national anthem for a game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets on September 15. Rucker agreed to perform the song at the behest of personal friend and former Bills player Bruce Smith, whose jersey was being retired that night.[56] He sang the national anthem again ahead of the Saints-Dolphins game held at London's Wembley Stadium in October 2017, as part of the NFL International Series.

Rucker was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "On the Road Again" and "I Will Always Love You", which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards.[57] On July 24, 2017, Rucker released the second single from his upcoming album, titled "For the First Time." On July 26, 2017, he shared details of his fifth country album, titled When Was the Last Time and it was released on October 20, 2017.

Rucker appeared as a mentor on seventeenth season of The Voice for Team Blake.[58] Rucker released Beers and Sunshine[59] in August 2020 under Capitol Records, and released a "summer mix" version of the song in 2021.[60] In 2021, Rucker contributed a cover of the Metallica song "Nothing Else Matters" to the charity tribute album The Metallica Blacklist.[61]

Rucker released a new single titled "Same Beer Different Problems" in April 2022.[62] Later in the year, he confirmed that he would be releasing a new album which would feature a collaboration with Chapel Hart.[63] Rucker subsequently announced that his seventh solo album, Carolyn's Boy, named after his mother, would be released in 2023.[64] He featured on the single "To Be a Man" by Dax in October 2023.[65]

## Golf

[edit]

On November 7, 2016, Rucker told ESPN that he had become a partner in MGC Sports, a sports agency that currently represents golfers (among them Steve Stricker and Kenny Perry), football players, and coaches. He added that he was planning to reduce his performance commitments from 100 dates per year to about 30, and that he thought his experience in the entertainment business would be an asset to potential clients. Rucker will be able to work without restrictions for golfers, but because he is not registered with the NFL players' union, he initially will only be able to meet with NFL players under very limited circumstances.[66]

Rucker has hosted the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head since 2012.[67] The three-day tournament annually hosts some of the top women's intercollegiate golf teams in the country.[68]

## Personal life

[edit]

Rucker is an ardent South Carolina Gamecocks fan as well as a Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Reds fan.[69]

Rucker's mother died in November 1992 of a heart attack.[5][7] His grief inspired two Hootie & the Blowfish songs: "I'm Goin' Home" and "Not Even the Trees."[6][7] On April 21, 1995, his girlfriend, Elizabeth Ann Phillips, gave birth to Rucker's first child, a daughter, Carolyn Pearl Phillips.[4] Rucker married Beth Leonard in 2000.[70] Their first child, daughter Daniela Rose, was born on May 16, 2001,[71] and their son, Jack, on October 27, 2004. The Hootie song "Where Were You" is about Rucker's strained relationship with his father, and was released only in Europe, where Rucker thought that his father would be unlikely to hear it.[6] His country single "Alright" was inspired by his marriage.[72] Rucker and his wife announced their divorce in 2020.[70]

Rucker is a friend of golfer Tiger Woods, whom he met in a bar in 1993 when Woods was 18. Rucker sang at the golfer's wedding with Hootie & the Blowfish and at his father's funeral.[73] His interest in golf goes well beyond his relationship with Woods; he was a VIP guest of Team USA at the 2016 Ryder Cup, and he attended Arnold Palmer's funeral shortly before the Cup.[66]

For the Undercover Boss series episode "Celebrity Undercover Boss: Darius Rucker", which premiered May 12, 2017, Rucker disguised himself as a 62-year-old music teacher, ran an open mic night and worked as a roadie.[74]

On February 1, 2024, Rucker was arrested in Williamson County, Tennessee, on two misdemeanor drug charges and one misdemeanor vehicle registration violation.[75] He was released after posting $10,500 bail.[76] In a statement given to The Tennessean, Rucker's lawyer Mark Puryear claimed that Rucker was "fully cooperating with authorities related to the misdemeanor charges."[76]

Rucker released Life's Too Short: A Memoir (ISBN 978-0-06323-874-9) in 2024.

On January 29, 2025, Rucker revealed in an Instagram post that he would be relocating to London, England, to tour more frequently around the United Kingdom, and work on new creative endeavors. He has no plans to renounce his U.S. citizenship.[77]

## Philanthropy and impact

[edit]

Rucker has regularly worked with charities that support sick and underprivileged children, via benefit concerts, volunteering, the World Golf Foundation's The First Tee Program, and the Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation which has raised nearly $4.5 million to provide funding to public education systems throughout South Carolina.[78]

He serves as a board member of the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in Charleston, where his mother worked for over thirty years from the time Rucker was a child, and has helped raise millions of dollars to help build a new hospital.[79][80]

He also made a commitment to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital after touring the facility in 2008. Since then, Rucker has spearheaded an annual event resulting in over $1.6 million raised for St. Jude's to date.[81]

## Tours

[edit]

Headlining

* Southern Style Tour (2015)
* Good for a Good Time (2016)
* Starting Fires Tour (2023)

Co-headlining

* Summer Plays on Tour (2018) with Lady Antebellum

Supporting

* H2O II: Wetter and Wilder Tour with Brad Paisley (2012)
* Own the Night Tour with Lady Antebellum (2012)

## Discography

[edit]

Main article: Darius Rucker discography

Studio albums

* Back to Then (2002)
* Learn to Live (2008)
* Charleston, SC 1966 (2010)
* True Believers (2013)
* Home for the Holidays (2014)
* Southern Style (2015)
* When Was the Last Time (2017)
* Carolyn's Boy (2023)

## Filmography

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Notes

|
|

2001  | Shallow Hal | Maitre'd
2016  | Live from Daryl's House | with Daryl Hall in Charleston, SC
2017, 2023  | CMT Crossroads | Along with John Mellencamp in March 2017
with Earth, Wind and Fire in June 2017
with The Black Crowes in May 2023
2019  | The Voice | Season 17 for Team Blake
Brad Paisley Thinks He's Special | Brad Paisley along with Kelsea Ballerini, Jonas Brothers, Peyton Manning, Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
2020  | Country Music Association Awards | Along with Reba McEntire
2022  | Rucker's Reno | About his renovation of a historic mansion in Charleston
2022  | Big Sky | Episode: Come Get Me. Plays the character of Possum[82]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Accolades for Darius Rucker  Year  | Association  | Category  | Nominated work  | Result

|
|
|
|

1995  | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | Hootie & The Blowfish  | Won[83]
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | "Let Her Cry"  | Won[83]
2009  | Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year  | Darius Rucker  | Won[84]
Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Male Vocalist  | Nominated[85]
American Music Awards | Favorite Country Male Artist | Nominated[86]
2011  | CMT Music Awards | CMT Performance of the Year  | "Need You Now"
(with Adele) | Nominated[87]
2012  | Country Music Association Awards | Musical Event of the Year  | "Stuck on You"
(with Lionel Richie) | Nominated[88]
2013  | Academy of Country Music Awards | Single Record of the Year  | "Wagon Wheel"  | Nominated[89]
Song of the Year  | Nominated[89]
Vocal Event of the Year (with Lady Antebellum)  | Nominated[89]
Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year  | Nominated[90]
Grammy Awards | Best Country Solo Performance | Won[91]
2014  | Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Song  | Nominated[92]
Top Country Artist  | Darius Rucker  | Nominated[92]
2015  | CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year  | "Homegrown Honey"  | Nominated[93]
2016  | Performance of the Year  | "Alright"  | Nominated[94]
2017  | CMT Music Awards | Performance of the Year  | "Pink Houses"
(with John Mellencamp) | Nominated[95]
2018  | Academy of Country Music Awards | Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award  | Darius Rucker  | Won[96]
2023  | Country Music Association Awards | CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award  | Won[97]

In November 2023, it was announced that Rucker would get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[98]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Leahey, Andrew. "Darius Rucker". Allmusic. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
2. ^ "Darius Rucker Signs with CAA". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
3. ^ "Darius Rucker Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mo..." AllMusic. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
4. ^ a b c d e f g Puterbaugh, Parke (June 15, 1995)., "Fish out of water." Rolling Stone. (710):74
5. ^ a b c Gray, Kevin, Cindy Dampier (April 10, 1995). "Fish out of water." People. 43 (14):77
6. ^ a b c d e f g Farley, Christopher John (April 29, 1996). "Music: Can 13 Million Hootie Fans Really Be Wrong?". Time. Vol. 147, no. 18\. p. 74\. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
7. ^ a b c d e f Kennedy, Dana, Darryl Estrine (July 28, 1995). "Hootie's revenge." Entertainment Weekly (285):32
8. ^ "Hootie & the Blowfish chart history". Allmusic. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
9. ^ a b Cohen, Rich (August 10, 1995), "Southern comfort". Rolling Stone (714):42
10. ^ DeCurtis, Anthony, David Wild (May 13, 1999). "Rock + roll." Rolling Stone (812):60
11. ^ Browne, David (April 26, 96), "`Fairweather' report". Entertainment Weekly (324):55
12. ^ a b c Baldwin, Kristen (November 3, 1995), "The week". Entertainment Weekly. (299):54
13. ^ Russell, Lisa, Carolyn Ramsay (December 4, 1995). "Frankly admiring".. People. 44 (23):85
14. ^ Stambler, Lyndon (June 2, 1997), "Blue Roses from the Moons". People., 47 (21):32
15. ^ See What You Want to See (CD insert). Radney Foster. Arista Records. 1998. 18833.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
16. ^ Mukherjee, Tiarra, Maggie Murphy (April 19, 1996). "Give a Hootie". Entertainment Weekly. (323):10
17. ^ a b Moraski, Lauren (December 14, 2011). "Darius Rucker to release new country album in early 2012". CBSnews. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
18. ^ Rayford, Sean (December 14, 2018). "Hootie and The Blowfish reunite with new album, tour". CBS News. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
19. ^ Feit, Noah (August 8, 2019). "Hootie & the Blowfish to release new album since 2005. Here's how to hear new song". The State.
20. ^ a b Wilson, MacKenzie. "Darius Rucker biography". Allmusic. Retrieved May 7, 2008.
21. ^ Arnold, Chuck (August 12, 2002). "Back to Then (Music recording)". People. 58 (7):45
22. ^ a b Cordova, Randy. "10/15: Darius Rucker talks State Fair, Hootie reunion." The Arizona Republic. October 15, 2014.
23. ^ No byline (July 30, 2001), "Who Knows?". People. 56 (5):54
24. ^ Duncan, Apryl (March 7, 2005). "Yes, that's Hootie crooning for Burger King. In 1999, he sang "War" at the Bob Marley All-Star Tribute". About.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
25. ^ Taylor Jr., Otis R. (September 19, 2008). "Hootie's Darius Rucker not just a rocker gone country". PopMatters. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
26. ^ "Darius Rucker Basking in Country Success". GAC. July 23, 2008. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
27. ^ C., Matt (August 13, 2008). "Rucker Proves That Sometimes, The Best Marketing Is No Marketing At All". Engine 145. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2008.
28. ^ Caulfield, Keith. "Metallica Holds At No. 1, Ne-Yo Arrives In Second " Archived May 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Billboard. September 24, 2008. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
29. ^ Guerra, Joey (March 13, 2009). "Darius Rucker thrilled to be living his dream". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
30. ^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2009.
31. ^ Trust, Gary (August 5, 2009). "Chart Beat: Darius Rucker, Mariah Carey, Brad Paisley, Wilco". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
32. ^ a b "Darius Rucker Album & Song Chart History – Country Songs". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
33. ^ a b "Darius Rucker Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
34. ^ Tucker, Ken (May 10, 2008), "Genre-Bender". Billboard. 120 (19):64
35. ^ Price, Deborah Evans (June 28, 2008). "Don't Think I Don't Think About It". Billboard. 120 (26):64
36. ^ Tucker, Ken (September 27, 2008), "New Kid On The Block". Billboard. 120 (39):48
37. ^ No byline (September 23, 2008), "Hootie's Rucker tops country chart". USA Today.
38. ^ Greene, Andy (September 30, 2008). "Hootie and the Blowfish Singer Leads Country-Crossover Pack". Rolling Stone. (1064)
39. ^ Lapowsky, Issie (November 12, 2009). "CMA's underdog: Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish, first black to win best new artist". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
40. ^ "Darius Rucker shoots for country milestone". Msnbc.com. November 11, 2009. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
41. ^ "Darius Rucker Schedules New Album, Charleston, SC 1966, for Oct. 12". CMT. July 16, 2010. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
42. ^ Lawler, Joe (August 20, 2010). "Rucker makes easy transition". Des Moines Register. Retrieved August 22, 2010. [dead link]
43. ^ Shelburne, Craig (June 8, 2010). "Darius Rucker Sings a Groovy "Come Back Song"". CMT. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
44. ^ Cheung, Nadine (November 8, 2010). "Darius Rucker — "This"". AOL Radio Blog. Archived from the original on November 14, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
45. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Charleston, SC 1966 review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
46. ^ "Gold & Platinum Search". RIAA. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
47. ^ Hettiger, Laura (May 20, 2011). "Darius Rucker celebrates MUSC's graduation". Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
48. ^ "Broadway's Electric Barnyard". Broadwayselecttricbarnyard.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
49. ^ West, Kay (January 14, 2013). "Brad Paisley Surprises Darius Rucker – with Grand Ole Opry Honor". People.com. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
50. ^ "Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood Set to Headline London's First-Ever Country to Country Music Festival". Taste of Country. December 10, 2012. Archived from the original on December 12, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
51. ^ Stefano, Angela (January 13, 2015). "Darius Rucker Reveals New Album Details, 2015 Southern Style Tour Plans". The Boot. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
52. ^ Hudak, Joseph (September 15, 2014). "Darius Rucker To Release Christmas Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 23, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
53. ^ "Sister Hazel". Facebook.
54. ^ "Country Aircheck" (PDF). Countryaircheck.com. June 27, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
55. ^ Despres, Tricia. "Darius Rucker just turned in a stunning, Indy 500 rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner"". rare.us. Cox Media Group. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
56. ^ "Darius Rucker to sing national anthem for Bills-Jets Thursday Night Football". Newyorkupstate.com. September 14, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
57. ^ "30 Country Music Stars Join Forces for Historic CMA Music Video". ABC News. September 22, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
58. ^ Special Look: Normani, Usher, Darius Rucker, will.i.am Join "The Voice" as Battle Advisors, Headline Planet, September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
59. ^ Beers and Sunshine, AudioDorks, August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
60. ^ ""Beers and Sunshine" Summer Mix - Out Now". Darius Rucker. July 9, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
61. ^ He, Richard S. (September 10, 2021). "Every Metallica Blacklist cover ranked from worst to best". loudersound. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
62. ^ "Darius Rucker's New Song is "Same Beer Different Problems" is Out Now". The Country Daily. April 29, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
63. ^ "Chapel Hart Set to Appear on Darius Rucker's New Album". Southern Living. July 26, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
64. ^ "Darius Rucker Announces New Album, 'Carolyn's Boy'". MusicRow. November 4, 2022. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
65. ^ Holthouse, Jerry (October 30, 2023). "WATCH: Dax, "To Be A Man" Featuring Darius Rucker". Nashville.com. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
66. ^ a b Rovell, Darren (November 7, 2016). "Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish joins sports agency". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
67. ^ Gillespie, Robert (2021). South Carolina Golf. Arcadia Publishing. p. 148\. ISBN 978-1-4671-4549-7. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
68. ^ "PREVIEW and TV TIMES: 11th Annual Darius Rucker Intercollegiate". AmateurGolf.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
69. ^ Rucker, Darius (March 23, 1995), "Raves". Rolling Stone. (704):40
70. ^ a b Slater, Georgia. "Darius Rucker and Wife Beth Split After 20 Years: 'Our Priority Will Always Be Our Beautiful Family'". People. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
71. ^ Byrd, Veronica (June 4, 2001). "Passages". People.com. People Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
72. ^ Conaway, Alanna (September 7, 2009). ""Opposite" Song Delivers Smash". Country Weekly. 16 (30): 21.
73. ^ Dyball, Rennie (September 8, 2008). "Catching Up With... Darius Rucker". People. 70 (10):56
74. ^ Bonnie Bolden (May 8, 2017). "Darius Rucker scouts La. man on 'Undercover Boss'". The News-Star. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
75. ^ "Country star Darius Rucker arrested on drug charges in Tennessee". NBC News. February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
76. ^ a b Orlando, Joyce (February 2, 2024). "Darius Rucker was charged with simple possession in Tennessee. What does that charge mean?". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
77. ^ Oyer, Kalyn (January 31, 2025). "Darius Rucker moves to London. Here's why the Charleston music icon chose to live across the pond". Post and Courier.
78. ^ "Hootie & the Blowfish Announces Tour and New Album in 2019". Retrieved December 1, 2018.
79. ^ Stooksberry, Emily. "Imagine What's Possible". imagine.musckids.org. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
80. ^ "Darius Rucker Gets Emotional at MUSC Children's Hospital". 103.5 WEZL. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
81. ^ "Darius Rucker & Friends Raise More Than $400,000 for St. Jude Through 2018 Concert & Golf Tourney". Nash Country Daily. June 7, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
82. ^ Wang, K.L. Connie (November 2, 2022). "'Big Sky' Goes Country! Two Music Icons Joining the Cast in the Latest Episode". Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
83. ^ a b "1995 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
84. ^ "2009 CMA Awards Winners". ACountry. November 12, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
85. ^ "45th ACM Awards Nominees Announced". RoughStock. March 2, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
86. ^ "Nominations of 2009 American Music Awards". ABC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009.
87. ^ "Nominees & Recipients". CMT Press (Press release). Retrieved April 29, 2022.
88. ^ "2012 CMA Awards Winners – Full List". Tasteofcountry.com. November 2, 2012.
89. ^ a b c Music, Academy of Country. "Nominations Announced For The 49th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® AWARDS Country Music's Party Of The Year®". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved May 29, 2020.
90. ^ "2013 CMA Awards Winners - Full List". Tasteofcountry.com. November 7, 2013.
91. ^ "The Official Site of Music's Biggest Night". GRAMMY.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
92. ^ a b "Imagine Dragons, Lorde, Justin Timberlake Lead 2014 Billboard Music Awards Finalists". Billboard. April 9, 2014.
93. ^ Colurso, Mary (May 15, 2015). "CMT Music Awards 2015: Nominees include Sam Hunt, Little Big Town, Band Perry, Zac Brown Band". al. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
94. ^ "CMT Music Awards 2016: Performance of the Year Nominees Revealed". PEOPLE.com. May 9, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
95. ^ Marquina, Sierra (June 7, 2017). "CMT Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". Us Weekly. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
96. ^ "ACM Honors Recipients Include Matraca Berg, Alan Jackson, Rob Potts, Darius Rucker". MusicRow.com. May 8, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
97. ^ "Darius Rucker Presented with 2023 CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award". October 24, 2023.
98. ^ "DARIUS RUCKER TO BE HONORED WITH STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME". Hollywood Walk of Fame. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Darius Rucker at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Media from Commons
* Quotations from Wikiquote
* Data from Wikidata

* Official website
* Darius Rucker at AllMusic
* Darius Rucker talks about True Believers on Ben Sorensen's REAL Country

* v
* t
* e

Darius Rucker

Discography

Studio albums|

* Back to Then
* Learn to Live
* Charleston, SC 1966
* True Believers
* Home for the Holidays
* Southern Style
* When Was the Last Time
* Carolyn's Boy

Singles|

* "Don't Think I Don't Think About It"
* "It Won't Be Like This for Long"
* "Alright"
* "History in the Making"
* "Come Back Song"
* "This"
* "I Got Nothin'"
* "True Believers"
* "Wagon Wheel"
* "Radio"
* "Homegrown Honey"
* "Southern Style"
* "If I Told You"
* "For the First Time"
* "Straight to Hell"
* "Beers and Sunshine"

Related articles|

* Hootie & The Blowfish
* Southern Style Tour

Awards for Darius Rucker

* v
* t
* e

CMA New Artist of the Year

* Terri Gibbs (1981)
* Ricky Skaggs (1982)
* John Anderson (1983)
* The Judds (1984)
* Sawyer Brown (1985)
* Randy Travis (1986)
* Holly Dunn (1987)
* Ricky Van Shelton (1988)
* Clint Black (1989)
* Garth Brooks (1990)
* Travis Tritt (1991)
* Suzy Bogguss (1992)
* Mark Chesnutt (1993)
* John Michael Montgomery (1994)
* Alison Krauss (1995)
* Bryan White (1996)
* LeAnn Rimes (1997)
* Dixie Chicks (1998)
* Jo Dee Messina (1999)
* Brad Paisley (2000)
* Keith Urban (2001)
* Rascal Flatts (2002)
* Joe Nichols (2003)
* Gretchen Wilson (2004)
* Dierks Bentley (2005)
* Carrie Underwood (2006)
* Taylor Swift (2007)
* Lady Antebellum (2008)
* Darius Rucker (2009)
* Zac Brown Band (2010)
* The Band Perry (2011)
* Hunter Hayes (2012)
* Kacey Musgraves (2013)
* Brett Eldredge (2014)
* Chris Stapleton (2015)
* Maren Morris (2016)
* Jon Pardi (2017)
* Luke Combs (2018)
* Ashley McBryde (2019)
* Morgan Wallen (2020)
* Jimmie Allen (2021)
* Lainey Wilson (2022)
* Jelly Roll (2023)
* Megan Moroney (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance

2010s|

* "Mean" – Taylor Swift (2012)
* "Blown Away" – Carrie Underwood (2013)
* "Wagon Wheel" – Darius Rucker (2014)
* "Something in the Water" – Carrie Underwood (2015)
* "Traveller" – Chris Stapleton (2016)
* "My Church" – Maren Morris (2017)
* "Either Way" – Chris Stapleton (2018)
* "Butterflies" – Kacey Musgraves (2019)

2020s|

* "Ride Me Back Home" – Willie Nelson (2020)
* "When My Amy Prays" – Vince Gill (2021)
* "You Should Probably Leave" – Chris Stapleton (2022)
* "Live Forever" – Willie Nelson (2023)
* "White Horse" – Chris Stapleton (2024)
* "It Takes a Woman" – Chris Stapleton (2025)

* v
* t
* e

Hootie & the Blowfish

* Mark Bryan
* Dean Felber
* Darius Rucker
* Jim Sonefeld

Studio albums|

* Cracked Rear View
* Fairweather Johnson
* Musical Chairs
* Hootie & the Blowfish
* Looking for Lucky
* Imperfect Circle

EPs|

* Kootchypop

Other albums|

* Scattered, Smothered and Covered
* The Best of Hootie & the Blowfish: 1993–2003
* Live in Charleston

Singles|

* "Hold My Hand"
* "Let Her Cry"
* "Only Wanna Be with You"
* "Time"
* "Drowning"
* "Hey, Hey, What Can I Do"
* "Old Man & Me (When I Get to Heaven)"
* "Tucker's Town"
* "I Go Blind"
* "I Will Wait"

Other|

* Discography
* Group Therapy Tour
* Bottle Rockets

* v
* t
* e

Members of the Grand Ole Opry

Current members|

* Trace Adkins
* Lauren Alaina
* Bill Anderson
* Kelsea Ballerini
* Bobby Bare
* Mandy Barnett
* Dierks Bentley
* Clint Black
* Garth Brooks
* T. Graham Brown
* Steven Curtis Chapman
* Henry Cho
* Terri Clark
* Luke Combs
* John Conlee
* Dailey & Vincent
* Diamond Rio
* Sara Evans
* Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
* Crystal Gayle
* Vince Gill
* Emmylou Harris
* The Isaacs
* Alan Jackson
* Chris Janson
* Jamey Johnson
* Alison Krauss
* Lady A
* Little Big Town
* Patty Loveless
* Dustin Lynch
* Barbara Mandrell
* Martina McBride
* Ashley McBryde
* Del McCoury
* Charlie McCoy
* Scotty McCreery
* Reba McEntire
* Ronnie Milsap
* Eddie Montgomery
* Craig Morgan
* Lorrie Morgan
* Gary Mule Deer
* The Oak Ridge Boys
* Old Crow Medicine Show
* Brad Paisley
* Jon Pardi
* Dolly Parton
* Carly Pearce
* Stu Phillips
* Jeanne Pruett
* Rascal Flatts
* Riders in the Sky
* Darius Rucker
* Don Schlitz
* Jeannie Seely
* Blake Shelton
* Ricky Van Shelton
* Ricky Skaggs
* Connie Smith
* Mike Snider
* Marty Stuart
* Pam Tillis
* Randy Travis
* Travis Tritt
* Josh Turner
* Carrie Underwood
* Keith Urban
* Rhonda Vincent
* Steve Wariner
* Gene Watson
* The Whites
* Mark Wills
* Lainey Wilson
* Trisha Yearwood
* Chris Young

Former members|

* Roy Acuff
* David "Stringbean" Akeman
* Jack Anglin
* Eddy Arnold
* Ernest Ashworth
* Chet Atkins
* DeFord Bailey
* Bashful Brother Oswald
* Humphrey Bate
* Binkley Brothers' Dixie Clodhoppers
* Margie Bowes
* Rod Brasfield
* Jim Ed Brown
* The Browns
* Carl Butler and Pearl
* Archie Campbell
* Bill Carlisle
* Martha Carson
* The Carter Sisters
* Maybelle Carter
* Johnny Cash
* June Carter Cash
* Roy Clark
* Zeke Clements
* Patsy Cline
* Jerry Clower
* Stoney Cooper
* Wilma Lee Cooper
* Cowboy Copas
* Charlie Daniels
* Skeeter Davis
* The Delmore Brothers
* The DeZurik Sisters
* Little Jimmy Dickens
* Joe Diffie
* Danny Dill
* Jimmy Driftwood
* Roy Drusky
* The Duke of Paducah
* Holly Dunn
* The Everly Brothers
* Lester Flatt
* Red Foley
* Curly Fox
* Lefty Frizzell
* Troy Gentry
* Don Gibson
* Billy Grammer
* Jack Greene
* The Gully Jumpers
* Theron Hale
* Tom T. Hall
* George Hamilton IV
* Sid Harkreader
* Hawkshaw Hawkins
* George D. Hay
* Hoot Hester
* Goldie Hill
* David Houston
* Jan Howard
* Ferlin Husky
* Stonewall Jackson
* Sonny James
* Norma Jean
* Jim & Jesse
* Johnnie & Jack
* George Jones
* Grandpa Jones
* The Jordanaires
* Doug Kershaw
* Hal Ketchum
* Bradley Kincaid
* Pee Wee King
* Hank Locklin
* Lonzo and Oscar
* Bobby Lord
* The Louvin Brothers
* Charlie Louvin
* Ira Louvin
* Bob Luman
* Loretta Lynn
* Uncle Dave Macon
* Rose Maddox
* Mel McDaniel
* Jesse McReynolds
* McGee Brothers
* Bill Monroe
* George Morgan
* Moon Mullican
* Willie Nelson
* Jimmy C. Newman
* Bobby Osborne
* Sonny Osborne
* Johnny Paycheck
* Minnie Pearl
* Webb Pierce
* Ray Pillow
* Ray Price
* Charley Pride
* Del Reeves
* Jim Reeves
* Leon Rhodes
* Tex Ritter
* Marty Robbins
* Johnny Russell
* Rusty and Doug
* Earl Scruggs
* Jean Shepard
* Mississippi Slim
* Carl Smith
* Fiddlin' Arthur Smith
* Hank Snow
* Red Sovine
* Ralph Stanley
* Texas Ruby
* B. J. Thomas
* Uncle Jimmy Thompson
* Mel Tillis
* Tompall & the Glaser Brothers
* Ernest Tubb
* Justin Tubb
* Leroy Van Dyke
* Porter Wagoner
* Billy Walker
* Charlie Walker
* Kitty Wells
* Dottie West
* Keith Whitley†
* Slim Whitman
* The Wilburn Brothers
* Don Williams
* Hank Williams
* Boxcar Willie
* The Willis Brothers
* Chubby Wise
* Del Wood
* Marion Worth
* Johnnie Wright
* Tammy Wynette
* Faron Young

†Honorary former member; was scheduled to be invited, but died before the invitation was extended

Pending members|

* Steve Earle

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* Grammy Awards

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template