Darius Rucker Still Has ‘Pinch Me’ Moments

Darius Rucker is no stranger to success, yet the unassuming star still can't quite grasp his continued popularity. With Hootie and the Blowfish, Rucker boasts two Grammy awards and one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, the 16-times platinum CD, 'Cracked Rear View.' Still, he says moving on as a solo country star has almost been like starting over.

Rucker's debut country album, 'Learn to Live,' made several 'Best of '08' lists and was recently certified gold, selling more than 500,000 copies -- laurels he calls "pinch me moments."

"I didn't know what to expect. I just went out and made the record that I'd want to listen to," Rucker tells The Boot of his first country project. "But to get all these accolades, that's amazing!"

The singer hopes to keep his momentum going. Though Hootie and the Blowfish have not broken up, Rucker is committed to his new solo stint at least for the foreseeable future, promising his next album will also be country.