Darius Rucker is well-known as the lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish, but with his latest album, he wants fans to meet his mother, whose Christian faith shaped him.
“My mom was awesome,” he said in an exclusive interview with BNG. “She was a nurse who raised six kids, and she was the light to our family and community. She was everybody’s favorite aunt and just a great person to be around. She was deeply spiritual and made sure we were in church every week at the St. John Baptist Church on Raven Island, S.C.”
His new album — six years in the making — is a tribute to Carolyn Rucker. Its title is “Carolyn’s Boy.”
“My mom raised us the right way,” he explained. “She raised us to care about people. She raised us to care about each other. She raised us to want to help people we could help. I learned so many core values from her.”
Carolyn died before her son became the influential artist he is today, but she lives on in how he goes about life and carries out his career, he said.
“I think my ability to just focus on what I want to do and not care about all the outside noise comes from her; it comes from her strong will and what she taught us to always believe in and stand up for it. I’ve been told I shouldn’t have become a country music musician, but I just knew it was the right thing for me to do.”
Rucker had been known as a pop rock artist before crossing over into country as one of the first modern-day Black country musicians.
“I had always been a big country music fan, and I wanted to do it. It was funny because I didn’t think I could get a record deal. And I did. It was very obvious that people were surprised, and people didn’t understand it because of the color of my skin. There were several people in the industry who told me people would never accept a Black country singer.”
However, the charts and music sales have been kind to him, along with his fans from Hootie and the Blowfish who he hasn’t forgotten about. That group will begin a national tour this summer.
Darius Rucker
Like country music stars of the old days, faith plays a key role in Rucker’s own story.
“God is real. I grew up in the church. It’s embedded in who I am,” he said. “It’s embedded in my DNA and, I just believe I have an abundance of faith. Religion can get a little wonky, but if your faith is always real, it’s always there.”
That grounding in faith has tangible applications, too. In Nashville, Rucker is known for his giving spirt. He has raised more than $150 million for different charities, one being the African American Music Museum headquartered in Nashville, where he serves as the national chair.
“My mom taught us when we were kids to help anyone who might have a need. It’s something she just instilled in me, and the older I’ve gotten and gained a little success, it was amazing to me that just my presence sometimes can help people raise a bunch of money,” he noted. “One of the things I love most about it is being a part of the African American Music Museum.”
For his day job, however, Rucker is living his childhood dream.
“This was the dream ever since I was 4. All I wanted to do was sing. It was always what I wanted, to be doing exactly what I’m doing right now.”