Watch this video at about 1:17 and you’ll find out!  The security guys are definitely earning their paychecks…

Darius talks about Loretta Lynn referring to him as “that black guy”.

Plus, Mike always grills Darius on how much money he makes.

Darius called us Thursday, 4/14.  Listen:  Darius Rucker 2011-04-14 7-20a

This should be cool:  Darius Rucker will be performing a song on the ACMs that was created under very unique circumstances:  “Music From the Heart” was written at the ACM lifting lives summer camp last year by a group of about 25 developmentally disabled young adults with the help of two bigtime Nashville songwriters.  On Sunday, Darius will sing the song with help from those 25 song co-writers.  Have the hankies ready.

The 76 year old living legend was recently asked about the young country stars of today, and she went right for Blake Shelton, saying that she once kissed him on the cheek and Miranda told her, “you’re trying to take him away from me!”  Loretta told her, “He’s my boyfriend now!”  Kind of reminds me of the stuff my late grandma Mamoo used to do.  And so does her next comment:  “And I love that black guy, what’s his name?”  Uuuh, that would be Darius Rucker, Ms. Lynn.  Of “that black guy,” Loretta says “now THAT’s country.”  However she decides to phrase it, I’m sure Darius would be thrilled to be singled out by someone like Loretta.

You! If you’re a cancer survivor. Darius Rucker, Lady A and Keith Urban have all recorded happy birthday songs as part of the American Cancer Society’s “More Birthdays” campaign, with the idea being that we should all celebrate how more people are surviving cancer, and of course our hope that more people in the future will be able to as well. So if you go to this website, you can send a customized birthday greeting to anyone you know from some pretty cool stars.

Darius Rucker has long been close friends with the embattled golfer, so it makes sense that when he puts a song on his new CD called “Things I’d Never Do,” people are going to ask him if it’s about Tiger.  Darius says no….no, no, no, it’s not.  End of story.  The Cd will be out October 6th, by the way, and it’s called “Charleston, SC 1966.”

Imagine a private show with Darius Rucker…just him, singing to you. How cool would that be? Well that’s what Darius did recently for a bunch of veterans who were at the VA hospital in Nashville. Instead of doing one show for a group of patients, he went around to the rooms and sang for the people who were not feeling well enough to be up and around. He said it was an incredible experience for him to meet these people, and that the song that seemed to connect the most with people was his #1 hit “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” Nice work, Darius.

The former pop/rocker is definitely a country boy now, and here’s one of the reasons why:  When Darius decided to ask a few of his country buddies to pitch in and help out in the recording studio, he went to Brad Paisley and Brad said “sure.”  He asked Vince Gill to throw in some vocals, and Vince said “no prob.”  Alison Krauss also gave a thumbs up.  But did anyone charge him a dime?  Nope!  In pop and rock music, most artists charge up to $30 grand for that type of  “favor”.  But in country music, they just do it because they like you, and that is that!

Do you ever feel like some of these big pop or rock stars who decide to cross over into country just sweet-talk us for a while, get lucky and then stop calling?  Bon Jovi.  Jessica Simpson (well maybe we didn’t call HER back.)  Anyway, this seems not to be the case with our pal Darius Rucker.  Already a jillionaire from his days as Hootie, he decided to go country a year ago, and started at the bottom of the ladder, just like a new artist.  That’s why it was cool that he got the New Artist award at the CMAs this week, and also why it’s cool to hear that he’s almost done writing his second country album!  Looks like Hootie is here to stay.