Happy Birthday to Darius Rucker.  I am proud to wish my friend a very Happy Birthday. I don't know if I am supposed to say this be he turns 55 today.

I had the pleasure of meeting Darius Rucker in Memphis a few years back. Darius was one of our special guests that year because he was receiving the Randy Owen "Angels Among Us" Award, for all of that he does for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Darius Rucker has raised millions of dollars over the years for the kids at St. Jude.

We all came to love Darius Rucker as the front man for Hootie and The Blowfish in the 90's. By the way, don't call him Hootie. His name is not Hootie. In fact no one in the band's name is Hootie.  The band was actually named after two of his frat brothers, one looked like a owl, hence Hootie and the other looked like a blowfish, and that is how the name came about.

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After a very successful time with Hootie and The BlowfishDarius decided to move over into our country world and boy are we glad he did! In 2008 he released his very first country album and if you didn't love him from Hootie and The Blowfish, you began to love him as Darius Rucker. The first single he released, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," made it all the way to number one on the Hot Country Songs chart, making him the first black artist to chart a number one song since Charley Pride in 1983.

All of Darius's music is great but I think that "Wagon Wheel" was a game changer in his career. I know it's one of my favorites. My new favorite right now is " Beer and Sunshine." It is just a fun feel good song.  He has a new single out titled "Masterpiece." Make sure you download it from one of your favorite music outlets.

Happy Birthday Darius Rucker, I hope it's a great one!

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