Darius Rucker to Get Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
South Carolina’s own Darius Rucker is getting an early Christmas present this year. The Grammy-award winning star will be honored with the 2,766th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, December 4, at 11:30 am at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard.
The 57-year-old Charleston native first gained fame as he lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded while attending the University of South Carolina, along with Mark Bryan, Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, and Dean Felber.
The group has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified debut Cracked Rear View, which is still among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time.
When Darius Went Country
In early 2008, Rucker ventured out on his own and signed with Capitol Records Nashville and began his solo career in country music. His first solo hit, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” debuted at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in May of 2008. Since then, Rucker has had four number 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country Radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. His version of “Wagon Wheel” remains one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time.
Always a huge crowd favorite, Rucker has performed at Beasley Media Group’s Kicks99 Guitar Pull in Augusta a total of four times in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2021.
Hootie & the Blowfish Touring in 2024
Hootie & the Blowfish are set to return to the stage in 2024 on the Summer Camp with Trucks Tour from May 30 through September 28. The group will visit 43 cities across the U.S. and Canada with special guests including Collective Soul and Edwin McCain.
Darius is a Philanthropist and Humanitarian
Rucker, also a lifelong philanthropist, chaired a capital campaign that generated over $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston. He was recently honored with the 2023 CMA Foundation Humanitarian Award during an appearance on the Kelly Clarkson Show in October.
He was in Augusta November 19 as a featured performer in the second annual Kelley Brothers “Sticks & Strings” Concert at the Columbia County Performing Arts Center. Proceeds from the event will benefit charities in the three areas that were major influences in John, Josh and Charles Kelley’s lives while growing up in Augusta: golf, music and healthcare.
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