Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker is an African American singer and songwriter, who was born on May 13, 1966 in Charleston, South Carolina. Graduated from Charleston's Middleton High School, Darius attended the University of South Carolina and there he shared the dorm with fellow musicians Mark Bryan, Jim Sonefeld, and Dean Felber.

In late 1989, Darius was asked by the threesome to join them as a lead singer in a soft rock/pop band, Hootie & The Blowfish. Together, they reached the top of success with their hit singles, including "Hold My Hand" and "Only Wanna Be With You". However, eight years later, Darius announced that the band would take a break from recording and the road.

Having more spare time, Darius used his time wisely and started a solo career. Unfortunately, his debut album titled "The Return of Mongo Slade", that was originally slated for release in 2001, had to be permanently shelved due to contractual issues with his label, Atlantic Records.

Failing in Atlantic, Darius decided to join Hidden Beach Records and back to the studio again to make other good musics. His hard work was finally paid off when his solo album, "Back to Then" was dropped to the market in 2002. Featuring Jill Scott and Snoop Dogg, the album peaked at number one in Hot Seekers chart and reached at number 43 in U.S. R&B chart.

After a six-year hiatus, Darius appears in the recording room again, carrying a new concept for his sophomore album. He changes his direction from pop/rock sound to country tune. Called "Learn to Live", his second major studio album is expected to be released on September 16, 2008 through Capitol Nashville.

His first single off his upcoming album is co-written by himself with the help from Clay Mills. Titled "Don't Think I Don't Think About That", the song peaked at number 3 in U.S. Hot Country Singles chart and reached number 35 in U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Those achievements have made Darius the first African-American to reach Top 20 in the country charts since Charley Pride did so with his song "Shouldn't It Be Easier Than This" in early 1988.