Happy birthday to Darius Rucker, aka Hootie, who's turning 55 on May 13th.
Darius first hit the scene and gained fame as the lead vocalist and guitarist for Hootie & the Blowfish. The band formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina with fellow musicians Mark Bryan, Jim Sonefeld, and Dean Felber. As the story goes, his soon-to-be guitarist heard Darius singing Billy Joel in their shared dorm room bathroom. They formed a band, began playing the college circuit, and would soon "blow up" in a big way.
You couldn't escape songs like, "Hold my Hand" and "Let Her Cry" or "Only Wanna Be With You." After reaching worldwide success with Hootie and the Blowfish, Darius Rucker made the jump into country music. It was 2008 and Darius was fresh off tour with Hootie when he stepped out as a solo opening act for some of country music’s biggest stars.
“Brooks and Dunn in Miami, Oklahoma. That was my very first show in country music," Darius said in an interview with ABC's Robin Robert's.
“We had just finished the Hootie tour probably six months before this is all happening,” he continued. “I'd go from headlining and selling out some of those arenas to being the baby band that gets 30 minutes. I thought, ‘this is really cool.’”
It certainly was a gamble to try something new, but the risk paid off! His first two solo singles, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” and “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” both hit No. 1 on the country charts, making him the first African-American artist since Charley Pride in 1983 to reach that spot.
Darius has one of the most unique voices in music. Soulful, gritty and infectious to listen to..
Country music singer-songwriter Darius Rucker has accomplished a lot. Above all, the multi-talented artist treasures his former wife Beth Leonard and his kids Carolyn, Daniella Rose, and Jack. Sadly, Darius and Beth announced their decision to ‘consciously uncouple’ while remaining close friends and parenting partners in July 2020.
Darius loves football, golf and making fans and people everywhere feel "Alright"