Q-and-A with Darius Rucker on the cusp of sold-out show at Coastal Carolina University

With one of the greatest comebacks in music history, Darius Rucker, front man for the ‘90s juggernaut Hootie & the Blowfish, again hit the top of charts in 2008 with his first country music solo project, “Learn to Live.” When his first single from that project, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country Music chart, he became the first African-American since Charlie Pride to reach the coveted position proving to himself, the world, and Hootie fans that he was back.

His sold-out concert Saturday at Coastal Carolina University’s HTC Center further proves Rucker as a dynamic entertainment force, one with strong ties to South Carolina and the Grand Strand.

Charleston-born Rucker first knew musical success when he and University of South Carolina college pals formed Hootie & the Blowfish in Columbia in the late 1980s. As the band became more successful, Hootie and the Blowfish regularly made its way to the most party-hearty resort town in the Carolinas, Myrtle Beach. Often playing just for beer money and/or a place to stay, Hootie polished its show and its songs, and in 1994 released what is still one of the best selling debuts in pop/rock music history, “Cracked Rearview.” The album went 17X platinum (that’s some 17 million albums sold), and sent the band on multiple world tours and to the studio for four additional studio projects, the last, “Looking for Lucky,” coming in 2005.

When the Blowfish finally stopped touring and recording new music, and decided to play only for annual charity functions, fans wondered what might become of the low-key front man, with his signature cowboy hat and authentic southern flare. As country fans, young and old, continue to embrace the personal, reflective songs that Rucker is writing or co-writing as of late, we wondered what he remembers about his struggling pop music days, and gigs here at the beach, and in what ways Myrtle Beach circa 1989 may have shaped his life 25 years later.

Here’s some of what he had to say in an exclusive Weekly Surge interview while on break between shows.

You’re riding high. Does it feel like the old days, or is it different? Oh, it’s totally different (laughs). In the old days it was just a party. The party was the most important part of the day. When are we going to start drinking? We had a blast. We were a rolling party. Edwin McCain has one of the greatest quotes ever about our tours. He said, “It’s like summer camp in trucks.” But now-a-days I’m old, I’m worn down, I’ve got three kids, so, while I won’t call it work, it’s more about getting the job done than having a party. That’s for sure.

Well, you are one of the hardest working men in showbiz. Yeah, I like to tour. I guess going through the ups and downs [of my career], I’m one of those artists who realizes it’s not going to last forever.

You certainly enjoyed one of the biggest “ups” in pop music history with “Cracked Rearview“ - did it catch you by surprise? Oh yeah, yeah (laughs). We thought we might get a record deal one day. And maybe have a chance, but we never thought we’d sell 17 million records. We never thought about it. When [“Cracked Rearview”] started to take off, the label was like, “this is going to be huge,” and we were like, “yeah right.”

So when you released your first country album, “Learn to Live” did you have the same mild expectations, and were you again caught by surprise with its success in the same way with Hootie’s debut?Absolutely, in the same way. First of all, I didn’t even think I’d get a record deal. It just wasn’t going to happen. I was going to go into the studio with my buddies in Charleston, record a country album. Then all of a sudden my manager gets me a record deal. I said, “Oooh, they’re going to sign me? Someone else is going to pay for me to make this record?” But I never expected to sell a million records and have three No. 1s. But we worked our butts off.

Your “Wagon Wheel” video has 35 million YouTube views, and even though you’re not the first to record it, do feel any ownership of the song? No, no. That’s Old Crow’s song. I don’t have any ownership. I did a cover of a great song. I do a few covers in my show, and every time I play “Wagon Wheel,” I say, “This is an Old Crow Medicine Show song.”

The “Duck Dynasty” guys are in the video. Were they fun to work with? Lovely guys, great people. I’m proud of my friendship with those guys. I’m a fan of the show and wanted to work with them. They were funny, great, a real blessing.

Have you played Coastal Carolina University before? No, I don’t think we ever played Coastal. I’m looking forward to it. Should be a lot of fun.

What are some of your memories of playing the Myrtle Beach clubs, maybe even back before “Cracked Rearview” was released? Oh, so many. I have great memories of the old Purple Gator where we played tons of times. It was such a party, we were always sold out. We have great memories of playing the Afterdeck. Myrtle Beach is one of those places that we knew when we went there it would be awesome every time.

Was Myrtle Beach a proving ground in your early days? Absolutely. We started playing Myrtle Beach early on. We were one of the first bands to start playing the Purple Gator. It was definitely one of the places where we honed our craft.

Is it urban legend, or is there any truth to the tale that you guys would come down here and play for beer money and a place to stay? Oh no, it’s true. We used play for a couple hundred dollars, but it was worth it. It paid off in the end.

Will there be a 21st Annual Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters charity event in North Myrtle Beach next year? Yes, we’re not stopping that any time soon. We found the perfect home for it in Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published August 20, 2014 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Q-and-A with Darius Rucker on the cusp of sold-out show at Coastal Carolina University."