Darius Rucker received his honorary doctorate from his alma mater, the University of South Carolina, on Saturday (May 11th). He also spoke during the 2013 commencement address, telling the graduating class to follow their dreams and make room for community service. School President Harris Pastides told Darius that while he’s a rock star and a cool guy, he’s now “Dr. Gamecock.”
Darius graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, with hopes of becoming a sportscaster, if his music career didn’t happen. He’s a huge supporter of the University of South Carolina, and said he’d do “anything” for the school. “There’s a lot of things I thought I was going to do in my life, but I never thought that I would speak at somebody’s graduation. You know, what an honor and I’m just really moved by the fact that that day that’s so important to them- the day that they’re graduating after four or five grueling years of having to go to school and having to take these tests with you’re finally graduating, and I’m the one giving a graduation speech. It’s full circle,” says Darius. “It’s another reason I wish my mom were still alive, you know. To witness me speaking at the college that means more to me than any school in the world, you know. The University of South Carolina is my heart.”
Darius is set to release his new album, True Believers, next Tuesday (May 21st). The collection features his latest Top 3 single, “Wagon Wheel.”
AUDIO: Darius Rucker talks about getting his honorary doctorate from the University of South Carolina.
Darius Rucker (doctorate) OC: …for that school. :54
“I was a Journalism major at USC. I was a Broadcast Journalism major. That’s what I wanted- that was my fallback, if it didn’t work, I was hopefully going to be a sportscaster, but I have an honorary doctorate in humanities in Humane Letters from the University of South Carolina, and an honorary doctorate in Music from the University of South Carolina. There’s a lot of things I thought I was going to do in my life, but I never thought that I would speak at somebody’s graduation. You know, what an honor and I’m just really moved by the fact that that day that’s so important to them- the day that they’re graduating after four or five grueling years of having to go to school and having to take these test with your finally graduating, and I’m the one giving a graduation speech. It’s full circle. It’s another reason I wish my mom were still alive, you know. To witness me speaking at the college that means more to me than any school in the world, you know. The University of South Carolina is my heart. I would do anything for that school.”
