Darius Rucker said he never dreamt he would land a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — let alone a star placed just a few feet away from the one bearing the name of a country music legend and Rucker’s mentor and friend, Charley Pride — but that’s exactly what happened on Monday (December 4).
The Grammy Award-winning country artist and Hootie & the Blowfish star received the 2,766th star since the Walk of Fame’s completion in the early 1960s, his record label noted on Tuesday morning (December 5). Universal Music Group Nashville Chairman/CEO Mike Dungan introduced the Carolyn’s Boy artist to the podium.
“This is stuff you don’t even dream about when you’re from South Carolina, struggling growing up and just wanting to be a singer,” Rucker said on Monday. “That’s all I ever wanted to be, was a singer. But you never dream that this stuff is going to happen, you know?
“These are names that have stuck in my mind because they were big stars,” he added, noting the legends whose names appear on the Walk of Fame. “And to be here… it’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Rucker’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame comes shortly after he received his star on the Music City Walk of Fame in October in Nashville, Tennessee. He said at that time that he was “shocked and humbled that I’m here.”
Days later, Rucker released his latest full-length record, Carolyn’s Boy, a 14-track album that serves as a tribute to the country superstar’s late mother. The album’s artwork is a photo of her, one that Rucker said is “our favorite family picture.” Rucker previously said he knew that he wanted to name the project in her honor “because Mom never got to see any of my success. She died before any of this happened, so it’s just another homage to the greatest woman I’ve ever known.”
Rucker is “getting back on the road” with Hootie & the Blowfish in 2024 on the “Summer Camp W its Trucks Tour.” It’s set to kick off on May 30 in Dallas, Texas, with stops in Ohio, New York, Colorado, Arizona, Nashville, Illinois, South Carolina, Virginia and other destinations before coming to an end on September 28 in West Palm Beach, Florida. See the full list of tour dates below.
5/30 — Dallas, TX
5/31 — Rogers, AR
6/1 — St. Louis, MO
6/6 — Detroit, MI
6/7 — Cincinnati, OH
6/8 — Indianapolis, IN
6/13 — Gilford, NH
6/14 — Bangor, ME
6/15 — Sarasota Springs, NY
6/21 — Boston, MA
6/27 — Bethel, NY
6/28 — Hershey, PA
6/29 — Burgettstown, PA
7/10 — Denver, CO
7/11 — Salt Lake City, UT
7/13 — Phoenix, AZ
7/16 — Anaheim, CA
7/17 — Mountain View, CA
7/19 — Portland, OR
7/20 — Seattle, WA
7/26 — Birmingham, AL
7/27 — Nashville, TN
8/1 — Hartford, CT
8/2 — Holmdel, NJ
8/3 — Columbia, MD
8/8 — Somerset, WI
8/9 — Chicago, IL
8/10 — East Troy, WI
8/15 — Cleveland, OH
8/16 — Philadelphia, PA
8/17 — Bristow, VA
8/29 — Columbia, SC
9/5 — Wantagh, NY
9/6 — Syracuse, NY
9/7 — Toronto, ON
9/12 — Knoxville, TN
9/13 — Raleigh, NC
9/14 — Virginia Beach, VA
9/19 — Charlotte, NC
9/20 — Alpharetta, GA
9/26 — Tampa, FL
9/27 — Jacksonville, FL
9/28 — West Palm Beach, FL