Don't Call Me Hootie

Capitol Records Nashville

Darius Rucker's new album - "Learn to Live"

It's been a long time since we've heard the name Hootie & The Blowfish. Their first album Cracked Rear View sold over 16 million albums. Their follow-up albums couldn't come close to their debut. Radio did a great job overplaying them and listeners were quick to discredit them because of it.

Fast forward 15 years later. Front man, Darius Rucker, not only had an appearance on Oprah last month, but is now touring to support his first country album. The album, Learn to Live, has already produced two hit singles that have gone number one on Billboard's Hot Country; "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" and "It Won't Be That Way For Long". I must admit, the songs are creative and catchy.

Last Saturday, I was fortunate to catch Darius live at the Auburn Performing Arts Center-which was actually a high school auditorium. Darius put on a great show in such an intimate venue. He not only played songs off Learn to Live but actually threw in a couple of Hootie songs and even a cluster of covers that included Dwight Yokum's "Guitars & Cadillacs".

You might remember him as Hootie, but Darius would like to be remembered as country.