Darius Rucker

born and raised. Moved to Nashville when I was nineteen to become a country music star. I got hooked up with two awesome girls, Jennifer Wayne and Taylor Lynn, and we formed a trio called Stealing Angels. I was in that trio for about seven years. We toured the country on a tour bus. We had two songs and the top fifty on the charts on the country charts, and we even got to play Madison Square Garden open up

for Timocraw, Rascal Flats, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert. It was such a wild ride it eventually fell apart, which was really sad and disheartening and kind of broke my heart a little bit. But just like when one thing falls apart, another thing comes together. And Jen and I got asked to do the Amazing Race, which is a reality show which takes you around the world. It was so fun

in such an incredible experience. We got fourth place on season twenty two, and then if that wasn't cool enough just to race once, we got asked back to race again on the All Star season and we ended up coming in second place. We lost the whole race by four seconds. Those were really expensive seconds because you win a million dollars if you win, but the experience was priceless. Because of Amazing Races. We got to go to like

twenty different countries, which is just crazy. And when I finished that, when I finished the second time racing on Amazing Race, I came back to Nashville and I was like, what do I really love? And I realized I love getting to know people, and I love getting to know people's stories and figuring out their drive and how people stay inspired. Because this industry, this entertainment industry, is crazy and it's it can break your heart and it can

tear you down. And you have to really have a vision, and you have to have a focus, and you have to have a drive. And it's not for the week, for sure, it's not for the faint of heart. And so I definitely was curious about how people stay motivated.

And I've collected a ton of interesting friends after living in Nashville for over ten years, and I'm like, you know what, I'm going to interview these people and I'm gonna get to know what's going on in their brains and see why they wake up every morning and get hyper about their career and get hyper about their dreams.

So that is why hyper Caroline Hobby was born. And I hope that you enjoy hearing from all the incredible people, because it has been a blast so far getting to talk to some of the coolest people I know in Nashville. The first person that we're interviewing is Darius Rucker. What He's from Hootie and the Blowfish. He sold thirty million

albums with Hooting and the Blowfish. And if that wasn't crazy enough and cool enough, he then started all the way back over in country music and climbed his way back from the just the starting ground all the way to the top of the charts and country music. He didn't take any freebees, he didn't come in as a superstar. He started off like any other Nubian country music and worked his way all the way up to the top.

And his story is incredible, it's inspiring. He's probably one of the most hard working, driven men I've ever met. He's hilarious and it was a super big privilege to get to interview him. So please welcome Darius Rucker to Hyper Caroline Hobby. Hi, Darius Rucker, I'm fabulous. How are you doing? Are you joining this snow? I'm not a big snow guy, but you know it's okay, Well you don't. You don't live in Nashville. No, I don't live in

Nashville and Charleston. We never get snow. So you know, when I came here yesterday and it was crazy, I stopped as I woke up. I think you brought it with you because it started yesterday. You know, you know, I gotta bring something. You don't want to come to Nashville after the ending. That's very true. Yeah, absolutely, Okay, So you started off and I was like in nineteen

six is when this whole thing started for you. I was sophomore in college and met this guy who, uh was a guitar player, and he asked me if he heard me singing in you heard me saying a Billy Joel song? And you always sing in the shower? I used to. I don't. I don't think I do much anymore, but I used to all the time. Yeah, because this was like we had community showers, you know. It wasn't like like you know now they have all these new, these great showers in these dorms, but ours was just

four six shower heads in one open room. When one over the room. Yeah, and I have a shower in the afternoon and no one was in there and I'm sinking and I walk out and he go, man, was that you? I was like yeah, He's like, wow, you know I play guitar and that, and I said, uh, really, I was like, you know, he said, once you come out lastly, be doing the same songs. And I did. And every since. Did you have intentions to be a singer? I always want to be. That's all I ever wanted

to four. That's all I ever wanted to be. Really. Yeah, you know, but you get older and you realize that's never gonna happen, and you gotta get a real job. Are you going to do the real job thing? Yeah? I want. I wanted to work in, you know, sports, something to sports, either radio or televisions or something. We have a great voice for it, and I still I still want to have a sports talk show someday. I

want to do that someday. What's your sport? Tire? I like them, I like, oh, you know the three majors we have here, But football, I live for it. It's sometimes it's really why I get out of bed and in the morning because football is on that day. Were you stoked about the Super Bowl? I wish it had been a better game? I was. I was. I'm always stoked about Super Bowl because it's the it's the championship

of my favorite league. But then around two minutes left in the fourth quarter, I get really sad because I realized there's no more football until like September August, and and that's always a sad time for me. I'm sorry. I barely even knew who was playing the Super Bowl. Only one team really played. Okay, I want to start off with some rapid fire. Okay, ready, are your morning or night person? Morning. What I've become. I used to be a night person. But in my but you can hang,

I can hang, but I get up. I'm up every morning at six six, no matter what I do, and I played all four. You don't getting kids at school or whatever. But I'm a I'm a morning person. So you're just not really a sleep person. Not lately. No, I don't. I don't. I don't need eight, that's for sure. You don't need eight. No, what can you function on? I'm going on about I'm seriously going on about nine hours in the last four days right now. So does that make you like irritable? I don't think so. You're

always so pleasant. I try to be when I get tired to get irritable, not you. Yeah, when I get tired, I just get ut quiet when I get tired, I think. Okay, okay, so morning. If you had to be the pet cat to any celebrity, who would it be and why? Um? If I had to be a cat for any celebrity, I would be a cat for for Paul McCartney. Okay, So I can hang out with him, your number one. Oh, he's my but he's one of the few things on

my bucket. List is to sit and have a beer with part He's my absolutely Al Green is my absolute idolt. Al Green is the guy who made me want to sing. Really, you know, but I've been lucky fortunate enough to actually hang out with at a couple of times. Is that great? He's just a great human being and the hope you had. Absolutely he was great to be a nice and and it was awesome. And but you know, Paul's a close second. I just you know, I love Okay, Okay, so he'd

be his cat. You can stroke me. I'm rubbing up against his leg. Okay. Any tattoos or piercings? And three tattoos? Two tattoos I got too. I'm getting a third one. What are you gonna get? I want to find somebody too? And I start cheesy, but and Elvis writing, which is from uh, from a lord of the rings? I want my three kids names. I love that. Where do you want to put it? Probably? And do you have another one? I got ah? I thought it was a piece flag and uh, this this is flag. I have my arm.

It's red, golden green, and uh and in the corner where the stars are I put a piece sign and one day to get out of the shower and my wife goes this, I thought you said you got the peace flag. I said that. I just no, you didn't you get the Mercedes's flag. And I looked at I realized they didn't put the line down the middle. So I do have the Mercedes bens for do you drive Mercedes? She does, Okay, you get free Mercedes if you put it on your arms. Agree. I agree, that's amazing. Okay,

what do you consider your greatest achievement? Oh, my grace achievements and my kids really yeah, I mean, you know Carrie who's in college now, I'm so proud of her. She struggled through a lot of hard times in school and now she's blossomed into such a wonderful, beautiful woman being in college and just enjoying herself. And my other you know, Danny and Jack are just such a great It's that they're definitely my my that's the best thing I've ever done. Awesome. Did you always know you wanted

kids to Absolutely? Was it hard to have kids touring? It wasn't hard. I mean it wasn't. It was hard with carry to be honest with you, because who do you be tourd so different country guys that like, I'd go for six months and I'd go for Seriously, I'd go for a month while I'm coming home and then you come home and you know, you're home for three days and then you're back out for three weeks. You know, we don't do that in country, thank goodness. But it's tough.

Then now it's just great. I mean, you know, I played tour in the summer and on the weekends, and you know, the kids want to go my son's and you know, you know, it was with me the whole time. Yeah, he's come out and they come out with me. So that's always fun. Okay, So country touring is a little more family. Absolutely, absolutely no doubt about that. Yeah, okay, okay, So you met in the shower with your band? Were they actually in the shower with you know? I was

just me and he said he. I came out of the bathroom and he was his door just happened to be right by the shower, and I came out of the bathroom. He was standing in this door and yeah, that's when he said, Yo, were you are you singing? Man? Yeah? Wait? So then you all wrote together are like a unit? You always right together. We're ben Yeah. We we always you know, we do pretty much everything. Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. And in nineteen was a nice to night. Four here

comes cracked you. Yeah, did you see that coming? Still do believe it? Sixteen million albums, Still don't believe it. I mean, that has to be in the highest selling albums of all times. It's it's up there. We uh, you know, we had been a band for nine years, eight years, eight nine years. We've been a band before we got a record deal, and and we had seen it going from being you know, the biggest band in my dorm room, to being the biggest band in our dorm,

to being the biggest band in our college. They allege, yeah, you play frat parties all the time in the clubs and everything and all that stuff. And then you know, then the biggest band in Colombia, then the biggest ban of South Carolina, and then we were the biggest band in the Southeast that didn't have a record deal. And so we'd watched our careers climb. So we got a record deal. We just thought, you know, okay, this is

just another step in our career. But then all of a sudden, but David Letterman show happened, and we we went to bed that night, We went to bed being hooting the both fish and the next day we woke up about to be one of the biggest bands in the world. Was crazy. How did that feel? How do you handle that? Were you ready for it? Oh? I don't. I don't think we had to be. We didn't. We

were lucky. We had four guys who were so close and so on each other, so on top of each other that nobody could get a big at or get you know, I mean we we remember when a Dean put on a black T shirt for the first time. I think he took five hours of us just killing them. Oh you're rocked, or now, oh you know you're cool black T shirt where you're golf and that because and so there was no time. And for us, we want the road so much, there was no time. We we

didn't see the record sales going crazy. We saw our record at number one every week in the billboard, but we didn't see it. I mean, the money was going in the bank and we were just in the road. All we knew was these shows a getting bigger and this is all you know, That's all we knew. And that's that was great. So off that record you had hold my hand, only want to be with you. I gotta say that was my theme song. I let her

cry in time for those four singles. Those four singles, huge songs, Yeah, big records, right, I mean yeah, I mean a couple of those songs are probably and you know they are an American songbook, you know, to be around for a while. And and uh, you know, I was a great feeling watching those and and we came along at such a perfect time. It was timing more

than I don't do you think that's timing. Yeah, the record was good, but it wasn't sixty yes, you know, and and uh and you know, grunge was big, and you know, record sales were dipping and nobody was you know, and drunge was out and everybody was tired of being sad and piste off. And we came out and said old my hand, and the world said, okay, so what inspired you to write that? Sony drummer actually brought that one.

He wrote that one. That's that's a good story here here. Uh. We were we our first drummer was leaving and we were auditioning in drummers and Sony came by the house and uh, he played with us auditions and then he said, I got the song on what you guys do here because I want to start doing the original music and he played all my hand. We were like, really, Dropper, that's amazing. Okay, So you guys going to do five studio albums. I don't know who you did, but five

songs about right? I really don't. Okay, after that happens, you guys going to tour forever. Then you're like, I'm gonna just pull a Houdini and go country because I'm such a badass, Like why not just start from the bottom again. In Radney Foster, Dney Foster, he came out with his first solo record called Dario Texas nineteen and I'll never I'll never forget the first time I heard that record. The first time I that record, I said, Man, I want saying country someday because I thought the record

was so great. And I mean I had been a fan growing up. I was a big Kenny Rogers guy, and you know, the opery was all you know, we listened to it on the week, you know, because it was for me. It was a lot of music and I always wanted to hear a lot of music and you could find you know, I was a M radio guy. That's who old lam. I was an AM radio. I just love it. And and you I know all the history of the opera too, Yeah I do. I know

I studied some of that stuff. But uh, then I just and then we toured every year and one day, Sony, our drummers, said, I just don't want to toever you. I don't want to be a touring band like that anymore. And so yeah, you got tired of it. And and so for us from I was like, Okay, I guess I'm gonna try to make a record country record. What's the rest of the band fine with it? Yeah, I mean we weren't gonna play, you know, we were taking time. Also, Yeah,

everybody go do whatever you wanna do. You're like, I'm still ready to do this. Yeah I was. I'd always felt and like i't even said it to my accounting a few times. I I've always said, I don't think my career is over. You know, I don't think we're done. I don't think I'm done. And and uh, you know McGee being a great manager, they are, they got me a record deal with Capital because I say it all the time, I wouldn't given me a record deal because who's gonna give the black lead singer of a once

huge band who's now they're still doing great. You know, they're still doing great touring business. But you know, nobody's putting their records on the radio anymore, and any new records on the radio anymore. You know, they they've had that run. And why would you give the black lead singer of that band of deal in country music when there hasn't been a black man with a hit and country music in twenty five years. But you said it, yeah,

I said, but they gave me a deal. I still and I still say thank you to Mike Dungan all the time because he he said he went into UH the day the night he decided to give me a deal. He went into his offices and he pulled his all his vps and his main staff and and he they all sat in the room and he said, I want you guys to know that I'm gonna I think I want to sign it. There. Strucker and one of the guys that and everybody in that room told him it was the worst idea you've ever had, But it feels

like a great idea. It wasn't the end, but I think on this and I understood why the it's it's it's amazing because even when I started a radio tour and stuff, I had guys who are now my friends, really said I thought I'd never played you because I just didn't think my audience would accept an African American country scer. So had you written country songs before he

started the country promises? Listen to someone the Hooty Records and all those country songs and on I brought all those songs in, you know, yeah, so, but when you started the country process, had you started the songwriting process? So this was just like I came in and yeah, And did you get hooked up in the community with the writers or have you found people you loved try with. I love writing with so many other guys, your rivers, Ruther,

for Tim James, actually Gorley, you know, Kristin Bog. I'm leaving session's started name names because there's there's probably thirty guys in town that could call me anytime and say let's write now. I will make I'll clear my schedule to go work with them because I says, great guys and great writers. So you agreed to start back at the bottom. Yeah, that was actually that was my idea. How have you just like the biggest star on Earth held so sixteen million records and now you're going to

start back at the bottom and country music. I had to prove yourself. Actually went into the office for my first meeting and I told them I want to do a radio tour, which shocked them. They didn't think I would because you know, because you know, you just said, didn't think I would getting a car and drive around the four radio stations a day work and it's current work. And I said, I want to be And I even told the guys that booked me, and I said, look,

I want to be a baby man. I don't I don't want you guys to go out and say, you know, you should headline or where he'd be in the middle because of who you both said. No, I said, I'll take baby mad money and first and my first tour was first three. My first tour was I was first, it was Dirk, then Brad, Yeah, you were first thirty minutes, thirty minutes. Absolutely, I wanted to do that. I wanted to do I wanted Nashville to see that I wasn't

coming in here as a store. I was coming in here as the new guy, and I was gonna work my way up. I wasn't expecting them to give me anything. I was gonna earn everything I got. And where does that mentality come from? Growing up where I did. I grew up with nothing, you know, and I don't want anybody give me anything because when you work for it's it's not better. So you want to So yeah, I

want to touch me to know that. First of all, I want to know this wasn't a one off, and I wasn't coming in just took carpet bag and have a couple of hits and go back to pop. And you know, I wanted to come here and be part of country music, and so I felt the way to do that was to start from the bottom. I mean going to bottom and humble yourself and and lose money. Because I wasn't gonna fire from fire my crew. I was gonna keep the same cruise. So I was gonna

have to lose money to do this. But it was like, let's work at us, work from the bottom up, and in the long run, I think it'll be better. And you, like I said earlier, you know the grand old offers so well you got accepted. How is that one of the things when I got here, I told I told my management, I said, I really I want to play the opera as much as I can't. Guess who do we try to play operate? We asked several times and

said no because we were rock banded. We understood that, and but we really want and we never got to play it. And so I really told him I want to play the opera as much as I can. And that day I'll never forget that day. I was, you know, you go once, just another day at the opera for me, which I love. It's always surreal out there and I

love it. And you know, they before I walked out, they set up we're gonna have a question and answer period after you you know, in the middle of your said no, and I thought it myself, I've never seen that. That's never happened. I think middle of the yeah, I was like, that's never had it. But if you guys

want to do it, cool. So I get out there and the lady gets up and asked me a question and ask it and then another lady asked me a question to answer it, and then Brad Paisley stands up, and I thought I thought it was a practical joke because I thought I was like a dizzy old me because I think I might be one up on him, and I think you and I'm really said, I'm thinking this is gonna be funny. That's what I'm thinking. I'm about to get God. And when he said, uh, hopkin

emotional right now? When he said do you want to be a part of the Grand Old Army? That was huge? So what were the waves of emotions? It was? It was like how crazy? Yeah, and and and and he at the time and still now he was probably my best friend in the business. Really yeah, you know, and we talked all the time and text all time. And it was one of those things where if they had asked me who I wanted to do that, it would

have been Brad Paisley. And for him to be doing that and for me to becoming a member of the opera that was just huge for me. That was huge. It was such a great day. Could you believe at that moment what you had accomplished your work ethic and your determination, like you started over in a genre, you conquered rock, you started over in a genre, and now you're accepted into the most prestigious club and country music. Yeah,

pretty crazy. That's unbelievable. It was, it was, and it still is, and it's it's one of those things where you know, as I always tell my kids, you know, you gotta work for it, and and and that's that's that's just a great example of because I think some people if they'd come, if they were me and they'd come over the country, they would come over with a different attitude, like, you know, I've already proved myself, so pretty many records, you know, come on, you know, you

guys just need to let me in play, you know. But that wasn't who it was because these people didn't have to play me. I mean, I could have come and put out two records and not had a top twenty. You had three number ones right off, three number ones of the first record that was crazy number one can

you see? One was don't I don't think about it for long, and the other one was all right yeah, and then you also a history of the making history that was on there too, and that was the top five was the number three, So you basically had four number ones. You came in, started the bottom, got four number ones. Were you like, holy shit? Yes, I'm still like holy shit. You know me seriously, for me, it's

when don't think about the number one. It was like, are you because that's just not what I just didn't That wasn't what my thinking. I was thinking. I was really thinking, you know, let's get this. If we can get this into the top twenty, maybe the top ten, don't let me make another record, And you know, that's great. I got somebody paying for my records. I don't have to make it myself. That's that's awesome. And that's what

I'm thinking. And then all of a sudden gets to number one, and I'm like, you know, you're you're freaking out. And then it's a two week number one and you're, oh my goodness. And then you know, then the other songs keep going up the charts and all everything starts happening, and then you know, I get the get the Rascal Flats tour and then and going out and doing that and get it was it was. It was a fun run. So you had three number ones? What drives you? What

is your motto? Where does this come from, Like you said, you're where you're from hardware. I feel like, what is your did you just have a con vision board and you're like, I'm going to accomplish this. Um, I don't even not a vision board. It's more like it's more like, once I decided I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna If I don't, just won't stop it because I didn't work

for it. Okay, you know, if I don't get something, if it's not gonna because I didn't work as hard as I could to get, it's gonna be just because I couldn't get it. But you gave everything, get everything. I will. Uh. It took a toll on my life, took a toll on the home life because I was I was working so much and we don't live here, but I had to be here all the time, you know, always coming to Nashville, always doing this, and it was it was hard work. But you know now it's so

worth it. Do you have to do music? I don't think so anymore. I did for a long time in my life, but I'm getting up there now. You know, it's Charles Kelly said the most perfect thing. It was. It was years ago a couple of years ago and when George Street announced that he was gonna retire, and Charles and I are sitting around to having a beer and he says, Darren, you'ler, what's got in the format?

I don't think him can't be am. I'm onling, Tim McGraw, I'm holding you look younger than everybody was gout in the format. And that was funny. That was funny. That's kind of nice. You're the patriarch of country music. I don't know what that on the grand on the old dude in the corner when really there? So after you after you hit you in the making, now you've done. Is this your fourth year under fourth country, So you've almost had as long of a country career as you

have rockerd Did you ever think that would happen? No? No, My goal was to get to let me make to the second record after after I got my record deal. That's really what I told myself. Let's go work up it off and let me make another record because I loved that. It was fun. I met Frank Rogers, I loved working with them. Things were great, you know, Yeah, and so it was it was when it all started, when when I told myself earlier, and I was gonna

get into the number. I didn't want to get into the number of this game because when you're when you're watching charts of everything, that sucks because they moved so slow and you're watching the charts. So I told myself, we're gonna get into that, and we didn't. I didn't. And and so when I mean people that you could have to come up with me and go, you know, you got a top ten record again, I was like, cool, I didn't know, you know, And I don't think I

ever saw a number one. It was always somebody calling me, going, we number one this week? Cool? Do you set your expectations at zero? You work hard, but do you have or do you set your expectations? I think something if it's a difference that I think in this situation, I set my expectation expectations so low because if you looked at the picture, it just seemed like to to to want seven eight number ones and say I'm want to do this and have four number one records that would

have that just didn't seem to be really feasible. Ye, the way this landscape of the whole the whole plane was, it just didn't seem like feasible. So I just wanted to be a small part of the community. Like you said, get somebody to pay for my records. That's all I wanted on a team. Yeah, absolutely, I want somebody playing my records and and you know, and turn into more net. So what's the difference between rock, the rock genre and country? What's the one thing about rock? M you can you

can say anything you know. Rock and pop you can say anything you want. Doesn't have to make sense. What do you mean, who let Dogs Out? What does that mean? My point? Exactly? Huge song? Who let the Dogs Out? The number one song? Huge song meant nothing, didn't no meaning? And country music and cuntry music, you always have to have your song has to have a story. It has to mean something. I mean, I listened to even the songs that you think are just you know, throw away songs.

There are songs that are or nothing because they're they're so popular whatever. If you listen to the words, the words is so great and the story is so great, and they're talking about something and I love that. And and you always hear about the fan loyalty, and I'll tell you that's true. Yeah, it's it's it's it's unbelievable loyal country music. I always say, pop and rock is always looking for the big the next big thing, and

country music wants the next big thing. But they also want that blanket that's on their bed, that's been keeping him warm for three years. You know, who are your greatest the biggest idol? Every time I opened my mouth, I'm trying to be Raddy Foster. No, trying to be You haven't readen a few songs together. He's we've done some shows together. He's a friend, and he's that, he's a he's said, he's When you talk about meeting the guy at him being the way you wanted to be,

Raddy Foster was the way I wanted to be. He want him. He was the nicest human being, so so humble, And the first time we met, I told the story. I told him the story and uh, he I want to see him play when he was in Foster and Lloyd in this club and uh I showed up late because I was working for selling records and I had to close the store down. I showed up and I missed my three songs, three or four songs, and I

get there and of course you don't bars packed. I'm the only black at the bar, and you know, to make my way up to the front. I'm I mean, I get there late, and I make my way up to the front because it's Foster and Lloyd Knight missing it and I'm up there. And so after about ten songs, I'm starting a little buzz, you know, and I'm start yelling you play. You can come crying to me. You know that. You know they're ignoring me, And so they go away, and they do, they do. They're coming back

from the encore. And when I come away from the encore, sure, there's that jerk again in the front row. You know why you can come crying to me. So Radney, being a nice guy he has, looked over at me, said hey man, I think he came in kind of late, because you know, we played that earlier the show. And I looked at him and say, hey man, I'm the only black dude in this place and you made it. Tell me you can't play the one song I'm asking you to play. And Bill looked at him, goes he

is and they played it again. They did, yeah, and uh, I told him that story, and he couldn't he couldn't believe that was me, Like, that was you? He said, I've told that story a million times. I didn't know that was you. That was me? Yeah, he had known that was me. Well, we know we had met. I had made it. I mean who he had made it at this time. We just store a club band at the time. Yeah, we're clumbing it when I when all that went down, and so he was like, wow, I

can't believe that was you. I've told that story a million times. It's like, dude, that was me. Full circle circle. That comes back around absolutely, And that's kind of interesting that Radney Foster is the one you picked because he's more obscure. It's not like mainstream country. I think that. Yeah, I think the people I love, I mean, I don't mind I like me not. I don't mind that. Then I like mainstream country. But the guys that I love, I love. I love it Nancy Griffith, I love Dwight Yoakum.

I love Radney Foster and Lloyd you know those Doc Watson country records, like the Portrait and stuff like that, those are the records that I love. I just when I was just engulfed in that stuff, I wasn't listening to a lot of country because I was listening to all those records. You're a lyric, yeah, always. What do you like to write about? Oh? I like to write about everything. You know. It seems like in the first record it was I was always writing about life, you know,

my life and what was going on. And you know, later on did you start then you write about stuff that happened before or where you are now. But I just I'm just like the rite, the long, the lyric is good. I like to write it. And then you cut. Then outside song that was yeah, which I had always love like I had to, but I never thought about cutting it. How did you How did that come about? Oh, this is a cool story. I was my oldest daughter, Carrie. She was at a high school talent show and so

I want to see it. And I was in the middle of making my record, and I went to see it and I'm sitting there and uh, the faculty band I'm talking about two janitors and like four teachers get up their band and they started playing Wagon Wheel and they playing it really country with drums and everything. And I'm sitting there and going I never heard wagon like that. I always thought it was such a bluegrass song. I'd

never heard of country and they're playing it. In the middle of the second verse, I'm texting my texting Frank Rogers, my producer, going do you remember that wagon Will song? Was like, yeah, you know, I don't think we should cut a lot of people cut it, dude, as they were cutting it, and we cut it, and that that

thing to goal. And when we put Lady A on it is when I when we first kind of went cool, great last song on the record, it would be awesome, never thought I'd be a single, and then we put Lady A on it and they just went to a new level. Okay, So was that one of your biggest songs? That was a big song I've hadn't catch a music Yeah, yeah, okay, Um, what else? You've been married to the same woman, Beth, She's beautiful. You have given me some marriage advice. Do

you have any marriage advice? Like? How because she's been through the whole hooting the bush and says she's been We've been gathering seventeen years. How what is the secret? Um? You can't. First, of course, love is a secret, is one of the secrets. But you have to make time

for each other. And I mean when from us. So you know, it is when you we're on the road so much, and now when you have a kids, it's not like you can just pack them on the road with me, and when their kids got school and everything, so we've gotta make time for each other. I think our secret is we've both just decided that we're gonna stay together. I mean, I'm sure if you ask both of us, we could say, yeah, we've both given each other reasons we could leave. Well, we could, you know,

but we've decided to stay together. And it's a commitment, and we work. We're working on marriage. It's not easy by any stretching imagination. People who don't work on the read. You have to work on your marriage like anything else. Absolutely, yeah, absolutely, And I think that's and and I think for me, it took me a while to get that comming dude, you know, and I thought I'm providing them everything is good. You know. We have a great life, you know, And and no, we have to make it a great life.

Less I would be great just because we can live whereveryone and go whe everyone. It's gotta be great because I want to talk to you, you know, I'm little similar beach and have a conversation. I'm gonna sit the back porch and have a conversation. And that's those are the things that are that that keep it together. I love that. So I'm looking at your watch. You get my husband and a thousand horses first off, Graham, and you have a little Goodman bros. The most important member

of the band. Yes, Like the last Nighter tour when they toured the all last year, Darius is like, here's the band, a thousand horses and here's the one you actually have such a You bought him some shoes. Yeah, he wears those things with so much pride because they're they're beautiful. Yeah. I have this great company called Old Old Store out in California that makes head handmakes these and I remember we were hanging out with the horses.

This one they just got. You know. I love them too. Absolutely. That's why I was so disappointed when the toy in it last year because I knew we had been on tour phones two years together and you know, there were boys and you know, and I'm so proud of I'm so proud of them, so proud of doing great. I love those guys. They are yeah, yeah, And it was this thing where I started, and I started with great. I started it with Graham, the first guy in the

band who mentioned my boots. I gave him a pair, and so Graham was the first guy who said, uh, hey man, I love you boots. You what sizes you wear? And he told me, and I don't think you thought it was serious. And then the next of my song, I want them there, man, here's your boots. And that's now a ritual with me, really with Dan and Jay, the first one of those guys that go, hey, man, I love your boots. They're gonna get a pair of boots.

That's awesome, that's amazing. Okay, I'm gonna wrap it up because I know you got to go do the Grand of Office. But I like to end each episode with a little segment called leave your Light, So like, leave me some inspiration, um, leave you some huh. You know, I'm looking I'm looking around at the world and everything

has happened. I was talking about this last night. So many, so many disasters and so many bad things happened, and you know, I just I think the more you can be nice or be good to one person at a time, the better the world is going to be. And there's so many people go through life, go through a day and not once doing something nice for somebody else. And I think every day trying to do one good thing.

If it's just you know, if it's just shake off somebody's hand, or pat somebody in the back, or you know, as somebody, you know you have a good day to day, do something nice for somebody every day at least once. I love that. Well, you actually have reputation to be one of the nicest man in country music. Thank you, thank you, Thank you, Darius, She's a queen. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to Hyper Caroline Hobby. I hope you love tearing from Darius Rucker. His story

is so inspiring and he's such a hard worker. He's done so many amazing things, but he's definitely busted his ass doing it. And I hope that his story has put some inspiration in your life and gotten you hyper about your own dreams, and I hope you get out there and chase them. Our next guest next week is Fancy and he is hilarious, fantastic, fabulous, fearless, everything you can imagine from someone named Fancy and we laughed our asses off. It is probably one of the funniest interviews

I've ever done. We almost got eaten alive by a spider. You don't want to miss it. Tune in next Wednesday for Who Is Fancy? And tune in every Wednesday from here on out to the end of time because I will be having a new podcast every Wednesday. And don't forget to subscribe to hyper Killing Hobby by y'all. M m hm