Darius Rucker gained his initial success as frontman of the group Hootie and the Blowfish. The band experienced immediate fanfare when they burst onto the scene, paving the way for Rucker to eventually pursue a solo career with an already established fan base.

Rucker was born in Charleston, SC in 1966 where he was raised on the music of Otis Redding and Al Green. Rucker would eventually go on to attend the University of South Carolina, where his life would change forever. There he met Mark Bryan, Jim Sonefeld and Dean Felber, with whom Rucker would form Hootie and the Blowfish. The group's blues rock was a big hit in and mid-'90s with singles like "Hold My Hand" and "Only Wanna Be with You" tearing up the charts.

After the band decided to take a much needed rest after several years of tireless touring and waning popularity, Rucker saw the opportunity to branch out and pursue a solo career in the late ‘90s. Rucker recorded his debut album and was set to release The Return of Mango Slade, but the project was shelved due to contractual issues. The former Hootie frontman finally released his solo debut in 2002 in the form of Back to Then. The album had a much different feel to it than his work with the Blowfish, as Rucker's early musical influences came through throughout the record. With aspects of soul and R&B, Rucker was shedding the Hootie label with a violent shake.

After temporarily fading into relative obscurity, Rucker would return in 2008 with Learn to Live. For those fans looking for a return to the Hootie days, or even a similar effort to his solo debut, this album surely came as a shock. Equipped with a country sound, Learn to Live was a departure from anything Rucker had release in the past and showed a new side of this versatile artist.