Three-time GRAMMY winner Darius Rucker was joined by friends and peers at The Electric Jane in Nashville yesterday, Oct. 26, to celebrate significant multiple career milestones: 10 No. 1 singles, including his latest “Beers And Sunshine” written together with Ross Copperman, J.T. Harding and Josh Osborne, plus the RIAA Diamond certification of “Wagon Wheel.” Only the fourth country song to achieve that feat, the 11x Platinum song already surpassed the 10x Platinum threshold for Diamond certification before the celebration took place.
“Thank you guys so much for the life you’ve given me,” Rucker shared when thanking the Country music community. “My life is so much better because I came to Nashville.”
NBC’s “TODAY” anchor Craig Melvin was also on hand to celebrate and present Darius with the RIAA Diamond trophy in honor of his “Wagon Wheel” achievement, noting that he knew he had to fly into town to honor such a great friend. In his remarks, Melvin highlighted not only Rucker’s accomplishments but also his heart and support for countless philanthropic organizations, noting “he doesn’t just donate to these causes, Darius Rucker shows up.”
Audio / DARIUS RUCKER EXPLAINS HOW HE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF RECORDING “WAGON WHEEL.”
DownloadDarius Rucker (Wagon Wheel) OC: …finished it. :43
“Somebody had played ‘Wagon Wheel’ for me years ago. It was one of those things that didn’t really…and I didn’t really get it. So, I’m at my daughter’s high school talent show, and I’m sitting in the audience with my family. We were watching my daughter, and the faculty band gets up. It’s just the faculty from her school, and they play ‘Wagon Wheel.’ And I’m sitting in the audience, and they get to the middle of the chorus, and I turned to my wife, and I go, ‘I’ve got to cut this song.’ I’m serious. This all happened in three-and-a-half minutes, four minutes, while they’re playing the song. And so I’m texting Frank Rogers, ‘Do you know this ‘Wagon Wheel’ song?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah. It’s by Old Crow Medicine Show.’ He said, ‘A lot of people have cut it.’ I said, ‘I don’t care! [laughs] I’m cutting it!’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, dude. We’ll try it. We’ll cut it.’ And so…I cut it, and it was great after we finished it.”
