From Hootie and the Blowfish to fiddle and steel (Created March 6, 2013)

Darius Rucker may be forever known as the frontman of Hootie and the Blowfish, but there's another side to the artist that's winning him just as many fans. From the fiddle and steel in his music to the twang of his rich baritone, it's hard to mistake the Charleston, South Carolina native for anything but a country artist.

Rucker's career rebirth came at a time when his shift away from Hootie and the Blowfish transitioned into a solo R&B album, "Back to Then," in 2002. The album failed to chart any singles, however, and Rucker was at a professional crossroads until he inked a deal with Capitol Nashville in 2008. His first album, "Learn to Live," racked up three number-one singles – "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," "It Won't Be Like This for Long" and "Alright." The success not only made him the first African American to chart a number one country song since Charlie Pride in 1983, but helped him become the first to win the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association.

Moving away from the sentimental ballads, but keeping the fun hooks that made his first project a success, Rucker's sophomore album, "Charleston, SC 1966," was released in the fall of 2010. Critics were kind to the 'more vibrant and charming tunes' and the project was strong out of the gate with the back-to-back number one singles "Come Back Song" and "This."

On October 2, 2012, Rucker was invited to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was inducted two weeks later. Around the same time, the promotion for his third country album began with the release of the lead single, "True Believers." The follow-up is a cover of Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel," with backing vocals from supergroup Lady Antebellum.

Rucker will perform at the C2C: Country to Country festival in London on March 17, 2013. In May he'll play Bayou Country Superfest at LSU's Tiger Stadium. It's all part of his True Believers tour, where he'll be joined on select dates by Rodney Atkins, Justin Moore and Jana Kramer.