Darius Rucker
With one of the most identifiable voices of the last two decades, Darius Rucker’s soulful baritone can be heard across multiple genres of modern music. From his world-wide success as the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish to his solo delve into R&B, to crooning along side a big band orchestra, to his current meteoric rise to the top of the Country Music scene, Darius Rucker has sustained a successful music career spanning a quarter of a century.
Born & raised in Charleston, SC, Darius was exposed to a myriad of musical styles that formed the basis of his love for all music. After enrolling at the University of South Carolina in 1984 as a part of the school’s song and dance group, Carolina Alive, Darius soon met up with a few fellow classmates who would band together to become a household name in popular music.
Dean Felber, Mark Bryan & Jim Sonefeld joined with Rucker as Hootie & The Blowfish to carve their own notch in rock music. After catching the attention of Atlantic Records by independently selling thousands of copies of their demo CD, Kootchypop, the band signed a major-label record deal and headed into the studio to record what would become the 12th best-selling album of all-time, Cracked Rear View.
Songs from their debut album earned the group two Grammy’s along with a multitude of other awards, countless television appearances, and a fan base that crosses continents. Hootie & the Blowfish released 7 more albums that have collectively sold more than 25 million copies world-wide.
Through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and their annual fundraiser, The Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament, Darius and his band mates have donated millions of dollars in funding to SC Jr Golf programs and multitudes of public education needs throughout the state.
Darius’ success on the music scene changed gears when he followed his passion for country music and recorded his solo debut, Learn To Live, released by Capitol Nashville in 2008. Since its #1 debut on the country charts, Learn To Live has been RIAA certified platinum and has produced three No. 1 hits to date. Darius’ rise to country super-stardom has landed him on the hallowed Grand Ole Opry stage, performances on television shows such as The Late Show, The Tonight Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as a star-studded appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Tours with country heavy hitters, Brad Paisley & Rascal Flatts have since followed.
Darius’ commitment to philanthropy, hard work, quality songwriting and energizing performances have afforded him a music career with a longevity that has yet to be determined.