Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media, Inc.
Darius Rucker discusses fatherhood, his experiences with fame, and more in this week’s issue of PEOPLE magazine.
When Darius Rucker and his wife Beth separated in 2020 after two decades of marriage, he turned to songwriting as a way to process his emotions.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Rucker, 57, shared, “You try to express those feelings, and it’s hard to say, and it’s hard to put that on paper. You try to do it as real as you can. I’m not a big talk-to-you guy, but I can sit down and write a song about it.”
Rucker and Beth, 56, publicly announced their split in July 2020, stating that they would remain “close friends and parenting partners.” Together, they have a daughter, Daniela, aged 22, and a son, Jack, aged 18. (Rucker also has a 28-year-old daughter, Carolyn, from a previous relationship.)
Reflecting on the divorce three-and-a-half years later, Rucker, who mentioned that he’s “not officially divorced yet,” emphasizes that he and his ex continue to consider themselves a family unit, regardless of their relationship status.
He shared, “That stuff hurts, and you feel like a failure. But we’re still a family—a piece of paper is not going to change that. We’re still a family, and that’s all because Beth is awesome. She knows it’s the best for the kids, and she’s a great human being.”
Darius Rucker, the frontman of Hootie & the Blowfish, expressed that dating is not on his radar at the moment. He remains fully focused on being the best father he can be to his three children.
He stated, “I’m not thinking about that right now. I’m just trying to be the best dad I can be for those grown kids.”
Being a dedicated father has always been a top priority for Rucker, stemming from his own experiences of growing up without a present father figure. He was raised by his late mother, Carolyn, and despite his father living nearby, he was not actively involved in his life.
Rucker shared his feelings about his childhood, saying, “It was tough growing up without a dad. I hated it. I had a lot of great father figures in my life, but not having him there was s—ty, and I don’t ever want my kids to not know where their dad is or how they can get in touch with him because I never knew how to get in touch with mine.”
He emphasized that despite his demanding job that involves a lot of travel, his children always know where he is. This commitment is directly influenced by his own experiences of not knowing his father’s whereabouts during his childhood.
Darius Rucker, a three-time Grammy winner, shared that all three of his children have musical talents, with Jack and Daniela expressing a desire to follow in their father’s musical footsteps, despite Rucker’s initial hopes for them to pursue careers in fields like medicine or law.
Rucker humorously noted, “My two youngest want to be in the business, but they’re all talented. I wanted them to be doctors and lawyers!”
He also shared that his children keep him grounded, and despite enjoying his music, they don’t treat him differently due to his profession. To them, he’s just their dad.
“They truly don’t give a s— what I do for a living. I’m nothing special. I’m their dad,” Rucker said. “They love my music, and they think it’s cool, but they’ll still be at a show, and I’ll walk out of the back of my bus, and they’ll go, ‘Dad, are you going to wear that?’ They love letting me know that I’m a dork, and I love them for it.”
