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Country Hootie Leaves Blowfish Behind

By Melinda Newman
,
PopEater
posted: 303 DAYS 15 HOURS AGO
comments: 61
filed under: Music News
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(Aug. 28) - Hootie has flown the coop -- at least for now -- according to Hootie & the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker.
"Hootie played our last show last night for years," Rucker told PopEater on Wednesday during a taping for AOL Music Sessions. The final concert took place at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, Calif. "We have four charity gigs that we do every year and will still do every year. But we will not do a record or tour for five or six years ... until I do three or four country records."
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Darius Rucker Snapshots

    WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 2: Lead singer Darius Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish arrives at the 30th Annual Kennedy Center Honors December 2, 2007 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 2: Members of Hootie & the Blowfish (L-R) Darius Rucker, Dean Felber and Mark Bryan arrive at the 30th Annual Kennedy Center Honors December 2, 2007 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    President and CEO of Capitol Records Nashville Mike Dungan and singer/musician Darius Rucker attend Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15111180), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

    (LtoR) Musicians Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum singers Darius Rucker and Emily West at the Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15111003), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

    (LtoR) Musicians Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum singers Darius Rucker and Emily West at the Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15111002), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

    (LtoR) Musicians Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum singers Darius Rucker and Emily West at the Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15111001), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

    (LtoR) Singer/songwriters Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, President and CEO of Capitol Records Nashville Mike Dungan, singer Darius Rucker and COO of Capitol Records Nashville Tom Becci attend Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15110995), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

    (LtoR) Singer/songwriters Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, President and CEO of Capitol Records Nashville Mike Dungan, singer Darius Rucker and COO of Capitol Records Nashville Tom Becci attend Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15110994), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

    (LtoR) Singer/songwriters Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban, President and CEO of Capitol Records Nashville Mike Dungan, singer Darius Rucker and COO of Capitol Records Nashville Tom Becci attend Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15110993), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

    (LtoR) Musicians Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelly of Lady Antebellum and Darius Rucker Capitol Records Nashville CMA Awards post show celebration at Lay'la Lounge on November 11, 2007 in Nashville, TN..Capitol Records Nashville 2007 CMA Awards Post Show Celebration.Layla's Ultra Lounge.Nashville, TN United States.November 7, 2007.Photo by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com..To license this image (15110973), contact WireImage:.U.S. +1-212-686-8900 / U.K. +44-207-868-8940 / Australia +61-2-8262-9222 / Germany +49-40-320-05521 / Japan: +81-3-5464-7020.+1 212-686-8901 (fax).info@wireimage.com (e-mail).www.wireimage.com (web site)

    WireImage.com

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Rucker is an out-of-the-box success at country radio. His first single, the bittersweet "Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It" is No. 5 at country radio this week. His country debut CD, "Learn to Live," comes out Sept. 16 on Capitol Nashville.
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As he starts over as a country artist, Rucker says it’s the nascent days with his Blowfish band mates that he misses when he looks back at the group’s tremendous success. "I miss when the four of us were riding in the van and we were the four best friends in the world," he says. "We were inseparable … We grew up and grew apart and got married and had kids. Even when we play now, we’re not as close as we were. I don’t miss the getting big or all that stuff, I miss when we were real close…The struggle was the fun part."
And if fans still want to call Rucker "Hootie," that’s fine by him. "After being in the limelight for 15 years, you're just glad that people still know who you are ... especially since I've lost weight and I'm not a fat hippie anymore. [laughs] So if people still know who I am, that's a good thing!"
Look for the AOL Music Sessions on Sept. 16.
2008 AOL LLC. All Rights Reserved.
2008-08-28 14:56:32

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PopEater Snap Poll


GOOD READ?
340 votes
(61)
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1 - 10

Seanzza

07:33 AMJan 16 2009

He still is primarily Hootie, only doing country on Sat/Sun. I think its a awesome song...#1 for country

AVG RATING:
(0)

Grprns3

07:44 AMAug 30 2008

COUNTRY MUSIC.....NO WAY.....DARIUS WOULD BE BETTER OFF GETTING A JOB AT KFC....

AVG RATING:
(0)

Grprns3

07:39 AMAug 30 2008

COUNTRY MUSIC WILL REJECT THIS WANNABEE FRAUD.....JUST ANOTHER PREFAB SINGER WHO IS MASQUARADING AS A COUNTRY STAR......HE SUCKED AS A R&B ARTIST.....BOREING DRAGGING SOUNDING VOCALS.

AVG RATING:
(0)

Grprns3

07:35 AMAug 30 2008

THE WORST ANNOYING SINGING VOICE IN MUSIC.....THIS CLOWN IS NO COUNTRY SINGER.....ANOTHER WANNABEE.

AVG RATING:
(0)

BMB2677767

07:06 AMAug 30 2008

I agree, this band has NOOOOOOOOOO talent. Lyrics like my 12 year old writes, actually I think my son writes better, they cannot hold to most on there instruments, they had great management that fooled whomever that can be fooled.

AVG RATING:
(0)

Sdave7596

03:01 AMAug 30 2008

Let's be blunt here....they were the politically correct pop group of the 1990's.....times change and music tastes change.....this group was never really that talented...average at best....

AVG RATING:
(1)

HOFFMAN1718

11:01 PMAug 30 2008

I think his new songs are great !

AVG RATING:
(3)

HOFFMAN1718

10:59 PMAug 30 2008

I think his new songs are great !

AVG RATING:
(2)

BobbyTox

10:59 PMAug 30 2008

These 4 clowns dont have a clue how lucky they were. Darius Ruckers voice sounds like he has a mouth full of shiat, that guy can NOT sing. The lyrics were straight from sesamee street. I live in Charleston SC and these idiots think "Hootie and the blow hards" are the second coming. The only reason they had any sucess is because Rucker was black guy singing with 3 white guys and it was so "feel goodie" to have a black guy acting white. If Rucker had been white and had the same voice etc...this band wouldnt have sold 10 albums. This band was and is a complete joke, dont even call them a band.

AVG RATING:
(2)

SixxgunMick

10:42 PMAug 30 2008

I'm glad we've gotten to a point where we can have black country stars, and people aren't up in arms over it. We don't have the good ol' boys screaming "We don't cotton to your kind", and we don't have the urban crowd screaming, 'You're black, act like it!" I think it's great! Good luck Darius!

AVG RATING:
(1)

1 - 10 of 61

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