Country music star Darius Rucker, the former frontman for Hootie & the Blowfish, talked to Parade about his many passions and misfortunes from growing up without a father figure to country music, golf and much more.
Family life means so much to the 47-year-old Rucker because he grew up without much of a father figure in his life. His mother was the one who went to all of his football games, choir concerts, and early gigs; meanwhile, his father would disappear for days on end, sometimes months. However, Rucker overcame his absence and learned from the experience, becoming a much better dad to his own children: daughters Daniela, 12, and Cary, 18, and son Jack, 8.
Rucker is also enjoying a career resurgence after moving into the country music arena in 2008. The iconic alt-country single “Wagon Wheel” from his latest album, True Believers, is Rucker’s sixth No. 1 song in the past five years.
Some excerpts from the article:
On his relationship with his father:
“He was just living his life, I guess. … I’m not mad at him or anything. I thank him for teaching me what not to do because now I just want to be with my kids all of the time. … I hope they always know they can ask, ‘Dad, do you want to … ?’ And that my answer is ‘Yes.’”
On life after Hootie & the Blowfish took an extended break:
“I was really at a point where I didn’t know if I could keep doing [music]. I’d been to the mountaintop. It might have been time to do something else.”
On the buzz about his first country album, 2008’s Learn to Live:
“We were recording, and I went out for a couple of beers, and people would come up to me and say, ‘I was talking to Brad Paisley the other day and he said how great your record is.’ I was like, ‘That’s crazy. Why would Brad Paisley think to talk to somebody about my record?’”
On his early musical interests, including Buck Owens:
“My oldest brother [would say], ‘Man, why are you listening to that white boy music?’ But my mom would tell him to leave me alone, to let me listen to what I wanted to listen to.”
On his love for and frustration with golf:
“Golf is the greatest but most maddening sport there is.”
Find out the sweet birthday gift Darius Rucker’s wife gave him after a long day on the golf course at Parade.com.