Darius Rucker will be among the performers tonight (December 31) on CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. Rucker, who will be joining other acts like Miranda Lambert, the Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5, and Rod Stewart, will bring his booming voice and charming presence to help ring in 2024.
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Ahead of the show (which begins at 8 p.m. ET and can also be streamed on Max), we thought it would be valuable to dive into Rucker’s history as an artist to remind fans just how long he’s been at the top of the charts, and where he first came from before undertaking two successful careers as a recording artist. So, here are five things to know about the former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman.
[RELATED: 7 “Favorites” with Darius Rucker]
Hootie & the Blowfish Started in College
In 1994 when the album Cracked Rear View dropped, the world all of a sudden became Hootie & the Blowfish’s. With songs like “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry,” and “Time,” the band was seemingly ubiquitous on the radio, with Rucker’s rich, full voice occupying the airwaves.
What started as a project amongst college friends during his time at the University of South Carolina turned into a multi-Platinum selling band famous for its singles and music videos for songs like “Only Wanna Be with You.” And what’s Rucker’s favorite Hootie lyric he ever penned? Here’s what he told American Songwriter: She sits alone by a lamppost, tryin’ to find the thought that’s escaped her mind.
Rucker is a Huge Sports Fan
For those who have seen the video for the Hootie & the Blowfish song, “Only Wanna Be with You,” you know the band is a fan of ESPN and sports in general. But Rucker takes the cake amongst his rocking peers for his legendary sports fandom. He told American Songwriter, “My favorite sports team is a tie between the Miami Dolphins and every team for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.” That tracks.
He’s a Crossover Country Hit
Before 2019, the last Hootie & the Blowfish record came out in 2005, called Looking for Lucky. Fourteen years later, the group released Imperfect Circle. In between, Rucker took his booming voice and love of songwriting in another direction, to country music. It wasn’t easy at first, as there aren’t many folks with his background in the genre. So, why did he make that leap?
“I love the storytelling. That’s probably my favorite thing about [country music],” he told American Songwriter. “I always say that most country songs are a three-minute movie. They just tell a story. And I love that. I love the way I get to sing it. Not even my stuff—singing a Radney Foster song. It just tells a story, and you get the whole story and then at the end, you get this great payoff. I love being a part of that, I love getting to do that. And it’s just great music.”
While it may have taken extra effort and time, Rucker has since succeded in the genre, releasing a slew of albums, including his latest, Carolyn’s Boy, in 2023. That record is dedicated to his mother. And of that LP, he told us, “The reason I named it Carolyn’s Boy was because I was in the studio recording a record and I was having a bad mental health day. I just wasn’t having a good day. At one point late in the day, I just said to myself, ‘At the end of the day, I’m just my mama’s boy.’ And that thought just brought this great calmness over me. Also, when I talk about it like this, I realize how much she still influences me. Because she died and I really am—I hope I am the son she wanted to raise.”
One of Rucker’s biggest hits is his rendition of the song, “Wagon Wheel,” which has since garnered some 450 million views on YouTube alone.
He Wants to Help the Next Generation
Rucker’s knows not everyone—especially those who look like him—may get the same chance he got to eventually succeed in the country genre. So, he prioritizes helping the next generation, he says.
He told us, “For me, at this point in my career, I think that’s one of the most important things that I want to do. That I get to do is—you know, when I came to Nashville, before I met Charley [Pride], I had nobody to talk to about stuff because I couldn’t explain it to anyone else because they just wouldn’t get it. Now you got Chapel Hart and Kane [Brown] and Blanco Brown and BRELAND and all these guys that I’m meeting and kids that I’m meeting, I feel an obligation to be there for them.
“And I’ve told them all, ‘call me anytime.’ And they do! ‘Call me anytime and ask me anything,'” he said. “Because, you know, now you have somebody who’s been through it, who can say, ‘This is what I think. But do what your heart thinks.’ I think it’s very important for me to be that mentor for those guys.”
He Received a Star on the Walk of Fame
Earlier this month, Rucker earned the honor of receiving his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the ceremony, the ever-humble Rucker told fans and onlookers, “I think the thing that keeps me working so hard is I always feel like I haven’t done enough.”
Rucker then admitted his reaction to learning about his star, finding out about it on social media. “I heard about it on Twitter and I freaked out,” he recalled. “I really called my manager and I was like ‘Is this real?’ I was looking on the site to see if it was The Onion. It was pretty amazing.” Check out a snippet of the ceremony here below.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
