Rucker then left Hootie & The Blowfish in 2002 to pursue a solo career. The band gained national attention in 1994 with their debut album ‘Cracked Rear View’, which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time. His first professional gig came with Jim “Soni” Sonefeld and Mark Bryan when they formed Hootie & The Blowfish in 1989. Rucker began performing with a local band called The Prophets while still attending high school in Columbia, South Carolina. Rucker was exposed to gospel music from an early age, singing in his church choir and learning to play gospel songs on the piano. He grew up in a military family, moving around the country for his father’s postings. His father was a retired army lieutenant colonel and his mother was a former school teacher. Rucker was born in Charleston, South Carolina, on May 13, 1966. He has since released five solo studio albums, including his platinum-selling 'Back to Then', as well as scoring several US Country hits.

Darius Rucker is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish.