Country singer Darius Rucker will perform at Meadow Event Park as part of the After Hours concert series this weekend. (Photo by Jim Wright)
Breaking out on his own in 2008 after serving as lead singer of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, Darius Rucker has gone on to make a name for himself as a top-tier country musician. His debut album in the genre, “Learn to Live,” earned him the Country Music Association’s New Artist of the Year award back in 2009. Since then, he’s been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, won a Grammy (his third) for Best Solo Country Performance and recorded “Wagon Wheel,” one of the best-selling country singles in history. Earlier this year, he released his latest single, “Same Beer Different Problem,” and there’s another album, his seventh, in the works. The South Carolina native and father of three says he’s not short on inspiration these days.
“I’ve been around so long that it’s easy for me to put myself in a situation with the song,” he says. “I always say my songs are inspired by my life.”
We spoke with the versatile artist as he traveled back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina, about his beloved sports teams, the upcoming Hootiefest, fan-favorite songs and what to expect next.
Richmond magazine: What worries did you have when you transitioned to country music, as a rock star and a Black man?
Darius Rucker: You know, you worry that it’s not going to work. That’s always a worry, that things are just not going to work, but they did. And I came over with the right intentions, wanting to make records, just wanted to make a record and, hopefully, do well enough to let me make another one. And Capitol [Records] worked their butts off, and they really stuck with it. And you know, I guess they say the rest is history.
RM: What song of yours do you feel resonates most with your fans?
Rucker: I mean, it could be [the Hootie & the Blowfish song] “Let Her Cry,” that was big. You know, when you play happy songs like “Wagon Wheel,” which is such a big song, people are just waiting for that. And then “All Right” seems to be a go-to song, too.
RM: What’s one of your personal favorite songs that didn’t top the charts like other songs?
Rucker: There’s a song on one of my first records called “Whiskey and You” that was never a single, but I thought it was just an amazing song. I thought that was great. There’s a song on my last record called “Hands On Me” that I also thought should have been a single, that was great. But you know, you always do that when you’ve got records. There are always songs that never come out the way you really thought they should have.
RM: What can fans can expect during Hootiefest in January?
Rucker: It’s gonna be awesome. We’ve got a lot of great bands ... people ready to really bring it. This year is gonna be even a bigger party than before, so that’s why you could definitely expect a friggin’ party. It’s four days out in Cancun. A great resort right on the beach. You know, with great pools and great amenities. It’s not just a show.
RM: You're a big sports fan. Any predictions for this year?
Rucker: I want to see my [University of South Carolina] Gamecocks going to the national championship. I always say that, every year. I’m also gonna say that my Miami Dolphins are gonna win the Super Bowl. Those are two things you can take, even though I’m not very sure of my predictions.
RM: What can fans expect from you next?
Rucker: My upcoming album was inspired by COVID and everything that went on, so it was easy to find inspiration to write about. We came up with a bunch of stuff, a lot of songs. I think I wrote 60 or 70 songs for this record, and so now we have to put it all together and hope people love it as much as I do.
Darius Rucker performs at Meadow Event Park as part of the After Hours Concerts series on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $36 to $129.
