Darius Rucker understands what it means to celebrate a career renaissance. The instantly recognizable vocalist and songwriter joins Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, and more in showcasing that artistic success in one’s 50s can be sweeter than ever. “If I Told You,” from his latest album, “When Was the Last Time” became Darius Rucker's eighth number one country hit.
The current streak of success doesn’t count the one that etched the unmistakable timbre from this artist into musical consciousness forever, and Darius Rucker doesn’t mind that his former heady days didn’t keep him from starting at the bottom in building his country following.
As he describes to Jan Crawford for “CBS Sunday Morning,” he hasn't swayed from the teachings of his roots.
Heroes of color
This Sunday, Darius Rucker will be celebrated as hometown hero with events in Charleston, SC. He will be performing at Volvo Car Stadium. Darius Rucker can’t recall having many country heroes of color while growing up, apart from the example of the great Charley Pride, who exuded pure class while breaking racial boundaries. Neal McCoy has been a country favorite for decades, especially in his home state of Texas, proud of his Filipino-Irish stock, and Mickey Guyton continues to make her own statement in beautiful country ways. Still, there are not the hues of diversity that one would hope to see after all these years.
There was no shortage of hard-hitting reality in Rucker’s world when he was playing frat parties with the band. The N-word was not spared by many, even when complimenting the talents of the band. Skyrocketing success came in 1994 when Hootie & the Blowfish blew out the charts with “Cracked Rear View,” which went 16x platinum.
Success can rob for all it gives, however, and when follow-up projects failed to match that success, the band was dropped from their label.
Darius Rucker leaned on the admonition from his mother to “be humble and always work hard” while he kept knocking on radio station doors to gain a foot in his entre to the Country Music world.
He worked harder than ever, without ever leaning on past “Hootie” laurels, playing whatever segments he could, no matter how short the minutes. He responded with a disbelieving “wow” when told that audiences could not accept his sound because of his color, and he never stopped his climb from the bottom.
Roots and the right song
Every country artist will attest that a life-changing moment is only a song away, and it doesn't hurt when a great Americana string band tips a hat with a song of their own. In 2013, Darius Rucker made “Wagon Wheel” which was a standard golden set fixture for Old Crow Medicine Show, written by founding member Ketch Secor and Bob Dylan, soar on the charts. He took on the trophy for Best Country Solo Performance and won hearts and fans of country forever.
A Darius Rucker show still has the feel of a night at the Windjammer in Charleston. He wears his ball cap instead of a cowboy hat, usually supporting the Gamecocks. His pride for his alma mater can still move him to tears. He loves that songs from “Let Her Cry” from his past to “Alright” and his new songs can provoke fans to “lose their minds” in good memories.
The golden plaque bearing his name at the Grand Ole Opry means so much more to Darius Rucker because it is earned and polished by passion and sweat.
