Darius Rucker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Atlantic Hidden Beach Capitol Nashville

Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He first became famous as the lead singer and guitarist for the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. He started the band in 1986 with friends at the University of South Carolina. The band released five studio albums and had six songs that reached the top 40 on the Billboard charts. Darius helped write most of their songs.

Later, Darius Rucker started a solo career. He first released an R&B album called Back to Then in 2002. Six years later, he began singing country music and signed with Capitol Nashville. His second album, Learn to Live (2008), was a big success. Its first song, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It", became number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. This was a special moment because it was the first time a Black artist had a number one country song since Charley Pride in 1983. Three more songs from that album also became number one hits: "It Won't Be Like This for Long", "Alright", and "History in the Making".

In 2009, Darius Rucker made history again. He was the first Black American to win the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association. He was also only the second Black person to win any award from that association. His third country album, Charleston, SC 1966, came out in 2010. It included two more number one country songs: "Come Back Song" and "This". His fourth album, True Believers (2013), reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. This album featured the popular song "Wagon Wheel". He has continued to release successful albums, including a Christmas album and his latest, Carolyn's Boy (2023).

Early Life and Family

Darius Rucker grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. His mother, Carolyn, was a nurse and raised him and his five siblings. Darius has shared that his father was not often around. His father was part of a gospel band called The Traveling Echoes.

Darius describes his childhood as a typical Southern African-American upbringing. His family went to church every Sunday. They were not wealthy; at one point, many family members lived together in a small house. Despite this, Darius remembers his childhood fondly. His sister, L'Corine, has said that singing was always Darius's dream.

Hootie & the Blowfish Journey

Darius Rucker has been the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish since it started in 1986. He met the other band members, Mark Bryan, Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, and Dean Felber, while they were students at the University of South Carolina. Mark Bryan first heard Darius singing in a shower. They started playing music together, performing songs by R.E.M. at local places. Dean Felber joined them, and then Jim Sonefeld became the drummer in 1989.

As part of Hootie & the Blowfish, Darius recorded seven studio albums. These include Cracked Rear View (1994) and Imperfect Circle (2019). Six of their songs reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Darius, Mark, Dean, and Jim wrote all the songs on these albums. Because Darius was the main singer, fans often called him "Hootie." Before becoming famous, he lived in a college basement and worked hard to start his music career.

Darius Rucker is known for his deep, strong voice. Rolling Stone magazine called it "ingratiating," and TIME described it as "low, gruff, [and] charismatic." Sometimes, people misunderstood his music style. Darius once said that his band "flipped" the usual idea of an all-Black band with a white lead singer.

After the band became famous, Darius and Dean Felber, who are best friends, moved into an apartment. Darius's fame brought new opportunities. In 1995, he sang the national anthem at the World Series. Frank Sinatra invited him to sing at his 80th birthday party, where Darius performed "The Lady Is a Tramp." He also made a voice appearance on the TV show Friends. He sang with other artists like Nanci Griffith and Radney Foster. He even helped Edwin McCain get a record deal.

Darius Rucker has said that Hootie & the Blowfish will likely never completely break up. He believes they will make more music and tour again someday. After a ten-year break, the band announced a tour with Barenaked Ladies in 2019 and released their album Imperfect Circle on November 1, 2019.

Solo Music Career

Rucker at Yokota Air Base in Japan, May 2004

In 2001, Darius Rucker worked on his first solo R&B album. Due to changes with his record label, it was released in 2002 as Back to Then by an independent label. The album featured work from the production team of Jill Scott. One of its songs, "This Is My World," was in the 2001 movie Shallow Hal. Darius later said he was listening to a lot of Notorious B.I.G. and Lauryn Hill at the time and wanted to make a neo soul record. He also mentioned that country music is his main focus now.

Darius appeared on a special celebrity version of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001. He also played a singing cowboy in a TV commercial for Burger King in 2005. In 2006, he lent his voice to the song "God's Reasons" for the movie The Still Life.

Country Music Success

Starting a New Chapter: Learn to Live

In early 2008, Darius Rucker began his country music career by signing with Capitol Records Nashville. His first country song, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," came out in May 2008. It was the first song from his album Learn to Live. For this album, Darius worked with Frank Rogers, who also produced music for Brad Paisley. Darius also performed for the first time at the Grand Ole Opry in July 2008.

The song "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" reached number one in September 2008. This made Darius the first solo African-American artist to have a number one country hit since Charley Pride in 1983.

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

Learn to Live sold very well, earning gold and platinum awards. The album's second song, "It Won't Be Like This for Long", was number one for three weeks in 2009. His next song, "Alright", also became a number one hit. This made him the first singer since Wynonna in 1992 to have their first three country songs reach number one. The album's fourth song, "History in the Making", reached number 3. These songs also did well on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Billboard magazine said that Darius Rucker felt like a true part of the country music family. Darius visited many country radio stations, explaining that he was new to the genre. On November 11, 2009, he won the Country Music Association New Artist of the Year award. He was the first African American to win this award since it started in 1981.

Charleston, SC 1966 and True Believers

Darius Rucker released his second country album, Charleston, SC 1966, on October 12, 2010. The title was inspired by another artist's album. The first song from this album, "Come Back Song," became his fourth number one country hit. The album's second song, "This", also reached number one. The album also included a song with Brad Paisley called "I Don't Care." Charleston, SC 1966 also received a gold award.

On December 14, 2011, it was announced that Darius was working on his third country album. The first song from this album, "True Believers," came out in September. On October 12, 2012, Darius announced that the album would also be called True Believers. The album's second song was a cover of "Wagon Wheel" by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor. This version featured Lady Antebellum singing backup and became a number one hit in May 2013. True Believers was released on May 21, 2013.

On October 2, 2012, Darius Rucker was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry. This is a very special honor in country music. He officially became a member on October 16.

In 2013, Darius performed at the C2C: Country to Country festival in London. He also sang the national anthem at the Outback Bowl in Tampa and at the NBA finals. On May 11, 2013, he gave the graduation speech at the University of South Carolina. He also received an honorary doctorate degree in music.

In 2014, Darius Rucker's version of "Wagon Wheel" won a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance. He was only the third African American artist to win a vocal performance Grammy in a country music category.

Recent Albums: Southern Style and When Was the Last Time

On August 25, 2014, Darius Rucker released a new song called "Homegrown Honey". This was the first song from his fourth country album, Southern Style, which came out on March 31, 2015. It reached number 2 on the Country Airplay chart. He also released his first Christmas album, Home for the Holidays, in October 2014. It included a song with Sheryl Crow.

In January 2016, Darius announced he was working on his fifth country album. The first song from it, "If I Told You," was released in July 2016 and became a number one hit almost a year later. He returned to the C2C: Country to Country festival in the UK in March 2017.

Darius Rucker sang the national anthem at the 2016 Indianapolis 500 race and at an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. He also sang it for a game in London in October 2017.

In July 2017, Darius released the song "For the First Time." He then shared details about his fifth country album, When Was the Last Time, which was released on October 20, 2017.

Darius appeared as a mentor on the TV show The Voice in 2019, helping Team Blake. He released "Beers and Sunshine" in 2020. In 2021, he covered the Metallica song "Nothing Else Matters" for a special tribute album.

In April 2022, Darius released "Same Beer Different Problems." Later that year, he confirmed a new album was coming, which would include a song with Chapel Hart. His seventh solo album, Carolyn's Boy, named after his mother, was released in 2023. He also sang on the song "To Be a Man" by Dax in October 2023. In 2024, Rucker released his memoir, Life's Too Short: A Memoir.

Personal Life and Interests

Darius Rucker is a big fan of the South Carolina Gamecocks sports teams. He also supports the Miami Dolphins football team and the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.

His mother passed away in 1992. This sad event inspired two Hootie & the Blowfish songs: "I'm Goin' Home" and "Not Even the Trees." Darius has a daughter, Carolyn Pearl Phillips, born in 1995. He married Beth Leonard in 2000. They have two children, Daniela Rose (born 2001) and Jack (born 2004). The Hootie song "Where Were You" is about his relationship with his father. His country song "Alright" was inspired by his marriage. Darius and Beth announced their divorce in 2020.

Darius Rucker is good friends with golfer Tiger Woods. They met in a bar in 1993. Darius sang at Tiger Woods's wedding and at his father's funeral. Darius loves golf and has hosted the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate golf tournament in Hilton Head since 2012. This tournament features top women's college golf teams.

In 2016, Darius Rucker became a partner in MGC Sports, a company that represents athletes and coaches. He planned to perform fewer concerts to focus on this new role.

In 2017, Darius appeared on the TV show Undercover Boss. For the show, he disguised himself as an older music teacher, ran an open mic night, and worked as a roadie.

In January 2025, Darius Rucker shared that he would be moving to London, England. He plans to tour more often in the United Kingdom and work on new creative projects. He will still remain a U.S. citizen.

Giving Back: Philanthropy and Impact

Darius Rucker often works with charities that help sick and underprivileged children. He does this through benefit concerts, volunteering, and supporting programs like The First Tee. The Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation has raised nearly $4.5 million to help public schools in South Carolina.

He is also on the board of the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in Charleston. His mother worked there for over thirty years. Darius has helped raise millions of dollars to build a new hospital.

Since 2008, Darius has also supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He started an annual event that has raised over $1.6 million for St. Jude's, which helps children with serious illnesses.

Tours

Headlining Tours

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

Co-headlining Tours

• Summer Plays on Tour (2018) with Lady Antebellum

Supporting Tours

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

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)

Film and TV Appearances

Awards and Recognitions

In November 2023, it was announced that Darius Rucker would receive a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Darius Rucker para niños