Darius Rucker bringing genre blend to Dubuque outdoor stage

Don’t mention genres to Darius Rucker. The singer/songwriter brushes off labels.

Rucker formed the pop-rock band Hootie and the Blowfish nearly 40 years ago, crafted an R&B album, 2002’s “Back Then,” and has been on the country charts since the release of his second solo album, 2008’s “Learn to Live.”

He loathes categorization.

“There are two kinds of music,” Rucker said while calling from Roanoke, Va. “There’s good music and not good music. I don’t like when people put monikers on music. It’s the same chords no matter what the style of the music is. It’s funny how people miss that.”

It’s no surprise that Rucker has become a country star. Such Hootie and the Blowfish Top 10 hits as “Let Her Cry,” “Only Want to Be With You” and “Hold My Hand” easily could have been crafted as country tunes.

“That’s absolutely true,” Rucker said. “They could have been country songs, but we went another way. People get so caught up in styles of music. I never think about styles. That just gets in the way of things.”

Folks tend to wear their genres like badges. When Rucker was a kid growing up in South Carolina during the ’70s, he was poked at for his love of rock ’n’ roll.

“Funk was big where I lived,” he said. “But I loved listening to the Stones and the Beatles. I couldn’t get enough of their songs when I was a kid.”

Rucker’s mother backed up his passion for the legendary bands. His latest album, “Carolyn's Boy” is a tip of the cap to his mom.

“My mother bought my first guitar when I was 11 or 12,” he said. “She was always supportive of my love for rock ’n’ roll, when my cousins and people in my neighborhood were giving me a lot of crap but she supported me.”

Rucker, 57, became a huge R.E.M. fan during his college days at the University of South Carolina. When he formed Hootie and the Blowfish, much of the band’s set comprised tunes from his then-favorite band, R.E.M.

“We played about 12 R.E.M. covers every show,” he said. “We just loved that band, and those songs still stand up.”

It didn’t take long for Hootie and the Blowfish to abandon the R.E.M. tunes. Hootie’s 1994 debut album, “Cracked Rear View,” became a monster, selling more than 21 million albums.

Hootie and the Blowfish enjoyed considerable success, but the group decided to no longer be a touring band by the end of the decade.

Rucker wanted to write, record and tour as a solo artist, and has had a very successful second act. He has enjoyed tremendous success since the 2008 release of “Learn to Live.” And he’s a number of country hits, including the chart toppers “It Won’t be Like This for Long” and “Alright.”

Rucker’s solo show incorporates his Hootie and the Blowfish hits, along with covers, such as Vince Gill and John Mellencamp tunes. So it wouldn't be surprising if assembling a set list would be a challenge.

“But it’s not,” he said. “It’s actually pretty easy. I just play songs people want to hear. I keep it simple. My goal is for people to come out and at the end of the night I hope they say, ‘Man, I would love to see this show again.’ ”

Rucker makes that easy since his set lists are different each night.

“That makes it fun and interesting for me,” he said.

In Iowa

Expect a healthy dose of “Carolyn’s Boy” when Rucker performs Thursday, July 13, 2023, on the Q Casino’s outdoors Back Waters Stage in Dubuque. There’s the catchy “Same Beer, Different Problem” and the pretty “Ol’ Church Anthem,” which features the dynamic emerging country sensation Chapel Hart.

“My mother passed away before ‘Cracked Rear View’ became this massive success,” Rucker said. “She is the reason for my success. It’s my tribute to my mother. Without her, I wouldn’t have gone on to be in Hootie and the Blowfish or have had this solo career.”

Hootie and the Blowfish still is an entity. The group plays together at least a few times a year and may reunite for a “Cracked Rear View” anniversary tour in 2024.

“Even though I’ve lived in Nashville for 16 years, I still go back and play with those guys,” Rucker said. “It’s like old hat for us. We have this bond and we’re like brothers. We love playing together, even though we decided to stop being a touring band. It gave me the opportunity to do my thing. It’s worked out well for me.”

Rucker looks forward to playing Iowa.

“I love it because the crowds are always so enthusiastic,” he said. “They really get into it. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I don’t get out there all that often. It’s always a fun show out there.”