Having previously teased the forthcoming project on NBC’S “Today,” Diamond-certified star Darius Rucker announces that his first solo album in six years, Carolyn’s Boy, is set for release Oct. 6 via UMG Nashville and available for preorder now. Brand new song “Have A Good Time” is also available everywhere, as a further preview of the project alongside his latest single “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” currently climbing the charts at Country radio.
“I wanted to name the record Carolyn’s Boy because Mom never got to see any of my success,” Rucker explained during the “Today” interview. “She died before any of this happened, so it’s just another homage to the greatest woman I’ve ever known.”
When asked why now is the right time to honour her, Rucker was reflective, conceding, “years ago, I wasn’t really sure what my place in Country music was and I was trying to find it. Now I have found it – I know – and I think it’s time to give that record.”
Rucker will return to “Today” on September 1 to perform new songs off the project along with his fan-favorite hits as part of the Citi Concert Series. Fans can also catch Rucker on his Starting Fires Tour, currently underway, and he’ll bring the new music to his hometown of Charleston, S.C. during his personally-curated Riverfront Revival Music Festival as it returns for a second year on album release weekend (Oct. 7 & 8).
TOUR DATES Aug. 10 | Sterling Heights, Mich. | Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre Aug. 11 | Milwaukee, Wis. | BMO Pavilion Aug. 12 | Maryland Heights, Mo. | Saint Louis Music Park Aug. 18 | Irvine, Calif. | Five Point Amphitheatre Aug. 19 | Stateline, Nev. | Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys Aug. 23 | Los Angeles, Calif. | Greek Theatre Aug. 25 | San Diego, Calif. | Gallagher Square at Petco Park Aug. 26 | Highland, Calif. | Yaamava’ Resort & Casino Sept. 8-9 | Durant, Okla. | Choctaw Casino & Resort Grand Theater Sept. 10 | Oklahoma City, Okla. | The Zoo Amphitheatre Oct. 7-8 | Charleston, S.C. | Riverfront Revival Music Festival Oct. 13 | Lexington, Ky. | Showdown Lex Oct. 14 | Nashville, Tenn. | Ascend Amphitheater
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified (21x Platinum) debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, including RIAA Platinum-certified Learn to Live and True Believers, plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012 and in 2014 he won his third career GRAMMY Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. He co-hosted the 54th annual CMA Awards in 2020 and topped the charts at Country radio once again with “Beers And Sunshine” in 2021. Rucker’s new single, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” is available everywhere now as a preview of his forthcoming album set for Oct. 6 release, Carolyn’s Boy, as he performs the new music for fans this summer on his Starting Fires Tour.
As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $3.6 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. In addition, Rucker has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker is also an avid sports fan, with his NFL x Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics apparel line available at NFLshop.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency.
