Darius Rucker | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rucker at theDaytona International Speedway in 2020 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Darius Carlos Rucker (1966-05-13)May 13, 1966 (age 59) |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Hootie & the Blowfish Howl Owl Howl |
Spouse | |
Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966)[3] is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist andrhythm guitarist of rock bandHootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at theUniversity of South Carolina along withMark 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 theBillboard Hot 100. Rucker co-wrote most of the songs with the other members of the band.
His debut studio album, anR&B record titledBack to Then (2002) was released throughHidden Beach Recordings. Six years later, Rucker signed toCapitol Nashville as acountry 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 onHot Country Songs chart, making it the first song by a Black artist to do so sinceCharley 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 theCountry 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 onecountry singles, "Come Back Song" and "This". His fourth album,True Believers (2013), reached number 2 on theBillboard 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 USBillboard 200. His sixth album,Southern Style (2014) reached number 6 on theBillboard 200, supported by the singles "Homegrown Honey" and "Southern Style". His seventh and eighth studio albums,When Was the Last Time (2017) andCarolyn's Boy (2023) followed thereafter. In 2025, he debuted a newsupergroup,Howl Owl Howl.
Rucker was born and raised inCharleston, South Carolina.[4] His single mother, Carolyn, a nurse atMedical 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][4] His family attended church every Sunday and was 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]
Darius Rucker has been the lead singer ofHootie & the Blowfish since its formation in 1986. He met fellow band membersMark Bryan,Jim "Soni" Sonefeld,[4] andDean Felber while attending theUniversity of South Carolina. Bryan first heard Rucker singing in the shower, and the two became a duo, playingR.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) andImperfect Circle (2019), and charted within the top 40 of theBillboard 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 theSigma 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, whichRolling Stone has called "ingratiating,"[10]TIME has called "low, gruff, [and] charismatic,"[6] andEntertainment Weekly has characterized as a "barrelhouse growl."[11] Rucker said they "flipped" the formula of the all black band with a white frontman, likeFrank Sinatra performing withCount Basie.[9] Musically, he has sometimes been criticized or spoofed for not being "black enough".[7]Saturday Night Live ran a sketch ofTim Meadows playing Rucker leading beer-drinking, whitefraternity members in a counter-march toLouis Farrakhan'sMillion Man March.[6][12] He also received death threats for singing the Hootie song "Drowning," a protest song against the flying of theConfederate 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 inColumbia, 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 theWorld 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 sitcomFriends.[12] He also joinedNanci Griffith on the song "Gulf Coast Highway" for her 1997 albumBlue Roses from the Moons,[14] and sang backing vocals onRadney Foster's 1999 albumSee What You Want to See.[15] He encouragedAtlantic Records to agree to a deal withEdwin 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 withBarenaked Ladies in 2019 while also releasing a new album that same year.[18]
Their sixth studio albumImperfect Circle was released on November 1, 2019.[19]
In 2001, he made his soloR&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 asBack to Then in July 2002.[20] The album included work from the production team ofJill 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 filmShallow Hal. In regards to the album, "That was just a minute in my life," he later toldThe Arizona Republic about the record. "I was listening to a lot ofNotorious B.I.G. andLauryn Hill at that time, and I wanted to make aneo 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 thequiz showWho Wants to Be a Millionaire? in July 2001.[23] He also portrayed asinging cowboy in a television commercial for the fast-food companyBurger King, promoting itsTenderCrisp 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 byDean Dinning andJoel A. Miller for the filmThe Still Life.
In early 2008, Rucker signed toCapitol RecordsNashville to start his career in country music. His first solo single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" (which he co-wrote withClay Mills) debuted at No. 51 on theBillboardHot 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 withFrank Rogers, arecord producer who has also produced forBrad Paisley andTrace Adkins.[25] Rucker also made hisGrand 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]
Learn to Live was certified gold by theRecording 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 sinceWynonna 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 theBillboard 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]
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 ofTampa, Florida, radio stationWQYK-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 theCountry 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]
Rucker released his second country album,Charleston, SC 1966, on October 12, 2010. The title is inspired byRadney Foster's solo debut album,Del Rio, TX 1959.[41] Its first single was "Come Back Song,"[42] which Rucker wrote withChris Stapleton andCasey 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 andKara DioGuardi. "I Got Nothin'" was the album's third single, peaking at No. 18. Also included on the album is a duet withBrad Paisley titled "I Don't Care".[45]Charleston, SC 1966 received a gold certification.[46]
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 titledTrue Believers.[48] "True Believers" peaked at No. 18. Its second single is a cover ofBob Dylan andKetch Secor's "Wagon Wheel" (previously made famous byOld Crow Medicine Show), featuring backing vocals fromLady 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 theGrand Ole Opry. Halfway through his set at the Opry that night he answered questions from the audience which included a question fromBrad 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 theC2C: Country to Country festival inLondon on March 17, 2013, which was headlined byCarrie Underwood.[50]
On News Year's Day 2013. he sang thenational anthem at theOutback Bowl inTampa,Florida.
On May 11, 2013, Rucker was the speaker at the commencement ceremony for theUniversity of South Carolina inColumbia. 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 forBest Country Solo Performance for the56th Annual Grammy Awards. At the awards ceremony on January 26, 2014, Rucker won, becoming only the thirdAfrican American recording act (the first beingCharley Pride, the second beingThe Pointer Sisters) to win a vocal performance Grammy Award in a country music category.
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 withSheryl 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 onSister Hazel's 2016 album,Lighter in the Dark.[53]
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 theC2C: Country to Country festival in the UK in March 2017, where he was second on the bill toReba McEntire.
On May 29, 2016, Rucker performed the national anthem prior to the100th running of the Indianapolis 500.[55] Rucker also performed the national anthem for a game between theBuffalo Bills and theNew York Jets on September 15. Rucker agreed to perform the song at the behest of personal friend and former Bills playerBruce Smith, whose jersey was being retired that night.[56] He sang the national anthem again ahead of theSaints-Dolphins game held atLondon'sWembley Stadium in October 2017, as part of theNFL 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 theCMA 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, titledWhen Was the Last Time and it was released on October 20, 2017.
Rucker appeared as a mentor onseventeenth season ofThe Voice forTeam 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 albumThe 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 withChapel 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" byDax in October 2023.[65]
On September 26, 2025 Rucker performed, at theRoyal Albert Hall in London, to celebrate Opry 100, alongsideLuke Combs,Carly Pearce,Ashley McBryde andMarty Stuart.[66][67]
In 2025, Rucker,R.E.M. (band) guitaristMike Mills, and drummerSteve Gorman of theBlack Crowes formed a supergroup called Howl Owl Howl, releasing the single "My Cologne."[68]
On November 7, 2016, Rucker toldESPN that he had become a partner in MGC Sports, asports agency that currently represents golfers (among themSteve Stricker andKenny 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 theNFL players' union, he initially will only be able to meet withNFL players under very limited circumstances.[69]
Rucker has hosted the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club inHilton Head since 2012.[70] The three-day tournament annually hosts some of the top women's intercollegiate golf teams in the country.[71]
Rucker is an ardentSouth Carolina Gamecocks fan as well as aMiami Dolphins andCincinnati Reds fan.[72]
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.[73] Their first child, daughter Daniela Rose, was born on May 16, 2001,[74] 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.[75] Rucker and his wife announced their divorce in 2020.[73]
Rucker is a friend of golferTiger 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 athis father's funeral.[76] His interest in golf goes well beyond his relationship with Woods; he was a VIP guest of Team USA at the2016 Ryder Cup, and he attendedArnold Palmer's funeral shortly before the Cup.[69]
For theUndercover 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.[77]
On February 1, 2024, Rucker was arrested inWilliamson County, Tennessee, on two misdemeanor drug charges and one misdemeanor vehicle registration violation.[78] He was released after posting $10,500 bail.[79] In a statement given toThe Tennessean, Rucker's lawyer Mark Puryear claimed that Rucker was "fully cooperating with authorities related to the misdemeanor charges."[79]
In 2024 his memoir,Life's Too Short: A Memoir, written with Alan Eisenstock, was published byDey Street/HarperCollins.[80]
On January 29, 2025, Rucker revealed in anInstagram post that he would be relocating toLondon, England, to tour more frequently around the United Kingdom, and work on new creative endeavors. He had no plans to renounce his U.S. citizenship.[81]
Rucker announced his engagement to Emily Deahl on October 8, 2025.[82]
Rucker has regularly worked with charities that support sick and underprivileged children, via benefit concerts, volunteering, the World Golf Foundation'sThe 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.[83]
He serves as a board member of theMUSC 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.[84][85]
He also made a commitment to supportSt. 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.[86]
Headlining
Co-headlining
Supporting
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Shallow Hal | Maitre'd |
| 2016 | Live from Daryl's House | withDaryl Hall in Charleston, SC |
| 2017, 2023 | CMT Crossroads | Along withJohn Mellencamp in March 2017 withEarth, Wind and Fire in June 2017 withThe Black Crowes in May 2023 |
| 2019 | The Voice | Season 17 forTeam Blake |
| Brad Paisley Thinks He's Special | Brad Paisley along withKelsea Ballerini,Jonas Brothers,Peyton Manning,Tim McGraw,Carrie Underwood,Kimberly Williams-Paisley | |
| 2020 | Country Music Association Awards | Along withReba 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[87] |
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | Hootie & The Blowfish | Won[88] |
| Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | "Let Her Cry" | Won[88] | ||
| 2009 | Country Music Association Awards | New Artist of the Year | Darius Rucker | Won[89] |
| Academy of Country Music Awards | Top Male Vocalist | Nominated[90] | ||
| American Music Awards | Favorite Country Male Artist | Nominated[91] | ||
| 2011 | CMT Music Awards | CMT Performance of the Year | "Need You Now" (withAdele) | Nominated[92] |
| 2012 | Country Music Association Awards | Musical Event of the Year | "Stuck on You" (withLionel Richie) | Nominated[93] |
| 2013 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Single Record of the Year | "Wagon Wheel" | Nominated[94] |
| Song of the Year | Nominated[94] | |||
| Vocal Event of the Year (withLady Antebellum) | Nominated[94] | |||
| Country Music Association Awards | Single of the Year | Nominated[95] | ||
| Grammy Awards | Best Country Solo Performance | Won[96] | ||
| 2014 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Country Song | Nominated[97] | |
| Top Country Artist | Darius Rucker | Nominated[97] | ||
| 2015 | CMT Music Awards | Video of the Year | "Homegrown Honey" | Nominated[98] |
| 2016 | Performance of the Year | "Alright" | Nominated[99] | |
| 2017 | CMT Music Awards | Performance of the Year | "Pink Houses" (withJohn Mellencamp) | Nominated[100] |
| 2018 | Academy of Country Music Awards | Gary Haber Lifting Lives Award | Darius Rucker | Won[101] |
| 2023 | Country Music Association Awards | CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award | Won[102] |
In November 2023, it was announced that Rucker would get a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[103]
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |