"Wow, what a year!" Darius Rucker exclaimed, beaming as he accepted the CMA Award for Best New Artist. And what a year it's been indeed. The former Hootie and the Blowfish singer has seen his debut country album, 'Learn to Live,' reach platinum sales status and score three back-to-back No. 1 singles this year, topping it off with this huge industry win.
"Thank you to my wife and three kids who sacrifice everyday," Darius continued in his acceptance speech. "Thank you, Mike Dungan [President, Capitol Records Nashville] -- everybody told you you were crazy and this wouldn't work. To the fans, thank y'all for accepting me. To country radio, you took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, South Carolina, and God bless y'all for that!"
The Boot talked to Darius earlier in the day and asked if it feels weird to be labeled a "new artist," after being in the business for more than 16 years.
"Not at all, because I feel brand-new in country!" he told us with a smile.
Darius is only the second African-American artist to take home a CMA Award, following Charley Pride, who was named Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist back in 1971.
"I never thought about it that way -- that I was an African-American making a country record. I just thought about making a country record," Darius told reporters backstage when asked about the historical significance of his win. "But I'm proud to be that guy who's taking up where Charley left off and making country music that people want to listen to."
Reader Comments(1 of 5)
gabesiniscalat 11-11-2009
Honestly, how is this news?
Woohoo, a black won an award. I guess that's big news since it is unlikely to happen off of his own merit.
Seriously, I'm sick of hearing "first black to do.... first black to win..." I don't really care and don't know why AOL thinks that it is important.
raindwopsat 11-11-2009
You are so right...we don't win anything off of our own merit. Everything we get is because we're of a darker hue...awards, the presidency, college degrees, arrested...LOL...I don't think we coloreds should get anything at all. We shouldn't even be here in this country. When they were done with us they should have sent us home by the boatloads, and then we would live where only brown people are and we'd all be brown together...LOL...then we would win awards for merit, but if we did go back to Africa we would be American-Africans and it might not work there either. >sigh< We just suck...sorry for polluting your Euphoria. Sorry for being labeled BLACK by your ancestors. Sorry for being so black and for everybody making a big deal out of it. Sorry for being unable to achieve anything on our own merit...oh but wait...one thing we have achieved the ability to piss people like you off...oh and it's not a first!
F K Wheaton, Esqat 11-11-2009
It is so sad that America has not arrived on the world scale of accepting everyone for their beauty, talent and goodness. In the rest of the world, color really makes little difference, if any at all.
Let's grow up America. It's 2009!
mrkoeat 11-11-2009
I've got news for you, Darius Rucker DID deserve this award for his talent. He had 3 back to back number 1 hits and the album went platinum, that means people bought his CD's and called in requests to the Country radio stations asking for his songs to be played in huge numbers. The reason this article highlights the fact that he is black (and by the way, had you read the article it clearly states that he is the SECOND black Country artist to win the award, not the first as you had ranted) is because there are still ignorant, narrow-minded people in the world.
albertat 11-11-2009
IT IS NOTEWORTHY BECAUSE COUNTRY MUSIC IS A WHITE MAN THING. i T HAS BEEN SINCE THE FIRST HO-DOWN IN THE BACKWOODS AND IT JUST SHOWS HOW VERSATILE BLACKS ARE. wHITES HAVE DONE EQUALLY WELL WHEN THEY CROSS THE BORDER, i MEAN THE LINE, I MEAN THE BARRIERS. FORGIVE ME FOR THAT, BUT THIS IS TRULY SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF BECAUSE THIS IS A GOOD OL BOY ESTABLISHMENT!
soldrntxat 11-11-2009
you are so right, the libtards always seem to make a big deal out of something like this. Just look at all the anti americans posting on here now.
Magda Hanaat 11-11-2009
Yes, you do care, otherwise you wouldn't have read the article or commented on it. Get it , Moron? Probably not, since you are a Moron.
Diannat 11-11-2009
Why must everyone always play the race card?? Damn people grow up. He did make history tonight and more power to him!! Gee why does it matter the color of one's skin anymore?? The 50's & 60's are over.
mochamanhoodat 11-12-2009
the attitude of Archie Bunkers like you are why AOL recognizes the importance. You're late for your KKK meeting.
mdramsaranat 11-12-2009
yo.... can you sleep at night..?
natlbrokrgat 11-12-2009
notsure i understand where gabe is coming from, i'll try. i think he thinks that if whites accomplish something just as equal in merit, it's blase...but if a black does the exact same thing, it's front page news. becasue of white america's shame of how it treated blacks for years, it now still feels it must over compensate at times over black accomplishments that if they were white, might not be noticed. hey, i loved darius when he was hootie, he's a great talent. congrats to him.
radio1hqat 11-12-2009
Oh, raindwops, I LOVE the sarcasm!! You are probably the first African-American to wield such sarcasm!! Seriously, LOVE IT!! And, gabesiniscal, you are a retard. What would Darius' own merit be? Maybe winning an award for playing the bongos? You are a retard. I think the REAL travesty is that we are handing out awards to skinny little no-talent (white) bean-poles, like Taylor Swift, and exploiting the fact that she is the youngest EVER to receive awards (blah, blah, blah...) Why can't young people just be OLD like the rest of us?? Why do we have to make such a big deal out of it? We should pack all of them young, skinny little bean-poles up on a ship, and send them off to an island somewhere...somewhere they can all be young and skinny by themselves! Young, skinny little bean-poles...
mjforeverat 11-11-2009
listen, I don't care much about this new generation in music. It all stinks for talent especially when all the Music pollitics out there look for money and kiss$$$$$ before talent. This is why Michael Jackson had talent, in his days, tallent was really discovered.
mjforeverat 11-11-2009
listen, I don't care much about this new generation in music. It all stinks for talent especially when all the Music pollitics out there look for money and kiss$$$$$ before talent. This is why Michael Jackson had talent, in his days, tallent was really discovered.
Crystalat 11-11-2009
Yay for Darius! He deserves the award... nothing to do with the fact that he is black, and I don't think that he cares what color he or anybody else is. He is just a good artist and I am happy for him. His music is better than most in country music today. The new country isn't country at all. What difference does it make what color the person behind the mike is? I agree that I am sick of hearing "the first black to.." or even "the first woman to...." I dont believe that all are equal but you are what YOU MAKE OF YOURSELF. If you want to be "somebody" then make something of yourself. CONGRATS Darius!