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Darius Rucker’s Son Jack Is A Songwriter

Darius Rucker has three kids. The youngest, his son Jack, is following in his dad’s footsteps: he’s a songwriter.  Darius told us in a recent interview, “Jack’s actually a musician…

Darius Rucker in a black blazer with his son Jack in a gray sweater.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Darius Rucker has three kids. The youngest, his son Jack, is following in his dad's footsteps: he's a songwriter.  Darius told us in a recent interview, "Jack's actually a musician now. He's a songwriter, and that's something he wants to do with his life, and he's working on that."

When asked what kind of music Jack does, Rucker replied, "He's kind of like a Post Malone kind of guy. We're cutting some songs, but I don't know what we are going to do with them. We're just seeing."

He added, "I'm proud of all my kids, and Jack is a good kid. He's a tall, good-looking kid who can really write a song."

Music isn't Jack Rucker's only skill; he is also a great golfer. Darius said, "I'm really proud of him the way he beat me down to nothing (on the golf course) the other day. He went like six and five, which is unheard of."

Rucker recently announced that he will release a memoir titled Life's Too Short: A Memoir by Darius Rucker. It's due out on May 28.

Darius said of the new book, "If I look back at my life and try to see into my past, everything seems blurry. But then I lean in and start to hear something. Melodies. Chords. Harmonies. Lyrics."

He continued, "This book is the story of my life as told through twenty-three songs that took me away, soaring, starting at ground level, living in a poor but happy home, never wanting for much more, enjoying what I had, even when times got tough because I had my escape, my refuge, my music."

The book's publisher, Dey Street Books, writes of the new autobiography, "Now multiple decades into his career, Rucker tells the story of his life through the lens of the music that made him, including songs by everyone from Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder to R.E.M., KISS, Prince and, of course, his own music with Hootie and as a solo artist. He recounts the unlikely ascent of his band and wild tales of his road-hardened life—one filled with stumbles, missteps, and battles with demons, but ultimately resulting in triumph."

Ed Sheeran is the latest pop star to consider a switch to country music, He performed a new song with his buddy Luke Combs at the ACM Awards last week (5/11) in Texas. Over the years, several pop or rock stars have tried their hand at country music.

Sheryl Crow released a country album a few years back. She never left Nashville, living in the community and performing at events and benefits despite the fact that her country music career never really took off. Cyndi Lauper recorded a country album in 2015 and spent some time in Nashville doing interviews. She talked about the country songs she leaned on throughout her life.

In 2013, Kelly Clarkson released a song just for country radio that never really had success called "Tie It Up." It was about getting married. Her marriage to Reba's stepson Brandon Blackstock, which she gushed about in an interview for the song, didn't make it either. They got divorced in 2020.

While many pop and rock stars have tried their hand at country music, only a few really made it all the way to becoming a country star. We wish Ed Sheeran well if he really wants to give country music a try. Here, we look at five pop and rock stars that had their sights set on country music superstardom.

Steven Tyler

In 2016, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler signed with Nashville's Big Machine record label and released a solo country album called We're All Somebody From Somewhere. It didn't do much to bring the rocker into country music. But he didn't quit his day job - Aerosmith has just announced their farewell tour.

Lionel Richie

In the spring of 2012, Lionel Richie released a country album featuring many collaborations with country stars called Tuskegee. It featured Lionel's own popular songs with Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, and many more. The country album wasn't a huge hit, but it did start the friendship between him and his now fellow American Idol judge Luke Bryan.

Ed Sheeran

Ed is just beginning his dip into country music. He performed a song called "Life Goes On" with Luke Combs at the ACM Awards show. Sheeran said he would like to move towards country music in the future.

Elle King

Elle King has been very successful in her dive into country music as she has already charted two number-one country songs, one with Miranda Lambert, "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)," and "Different For Girls" with Dierks Bentley. King released her debut country album Come Get Your Wife in January. She is currently touring and has been embraced by the country music community and fans.

Darius Rucker

Darius has been the most successful pop/rock star that switched to country music. So far, he has released five country albums, charted eight number-one country songs, and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2012. He has been nominated for numerous country music awards and got a Country Grammy for Best Solo Country Performance for "Wagon Wheel" in 2013.

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.