Sunday is a big day for Darius Rucker, and his fans in SC

Sunday is a big day for Darius Rucker.

It’s the culmination of a big week for the former Hootie & the Blowfish front man who has gone on to become a country music star.

In the morning, Rucker will be featured on “CBS Sunday Morning.” On Sunday night, Rucker will be performing a concert at Volvo Car Stadium (formerly Family Circle Stadium), in Charleston.

Both are coming on the heels, and in support of the release of Rucker’s new album, “When Was the Last Time.”

Unfortunately for fans of Rucker in Columbia, where he attended the University of South Carolina, Charleston is as close as he’s coming for a live performance. But for those who can’t see him in person, Rucker will be making the rounds of talks shows this week to promote the new album which was released Friday.

In addition to “CBS Sunday Morning,” Rucker is scheduled to appear on the “Today Show” (Tuesday), “The View (Wednesday), “The Chew” (Friday) and “The Harry Show” (Nov. 1).

On “CBS Sunday Morning,” the venerable television newsmagazine, Rucker will be profiled by Jan Crawford. The music segment of the program, airing at 9 a.m., will feature Rucker’s move from Hootie & the Blowfish to a different kind of success as a solo country music artist.

CBS teased the profile with a clip from Rucker performing a single from the album, “For the First Time.”

The album has already been well received. One review praised his powerful voice.

“Rucker is a seriously underrated singer. Blessed with a rugged but warm timbre, he has a rare ability to invite listeners into a song rather than keep them at a distance through extraneous, show-offy display,” according to usatoday.com.

Rucker is a three-time Grammy-winning singer. The Charleston native and bandmates formed Hootie & the Blowfish while they were students at South Carolina.

Their album “Cracked Rear View” went platinum 16 times in the U.S., became the best-selling album of 1995, and was one of the fastest-selling debut albums of all time.

The Grand Ole Opry member and Gamecock superfan performed at Colonial Life Arena for USC students after the football team completed a six-win season in 2016. He was often spotted watching the USC men’s basketball team during their recent run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Rucker has been busy when he isn’t performing. He came out with his own brand of whiskey, Backstage Southern Whiskey and joined the sports agent business, partnering with MGC Sports. Rucker also has his own monthly golf talk show, “On Par with Darius Rucker,” which airs on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio.

This story was originally published October 21, 2017 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Sunday is a big day for Darius Rucker, and his fans in SC."