Hootie & The Blowfish

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Biography

Hootie & the Blowfish is an United States|American Rock music|rock musical ensemble|band that enjoyed popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker , Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld , and Mark Bryan . The band has recorded five studio albums to date, and has charted sixteen singles on various Billboard (magazine)|Billboard singles charts. Their 1994 debut album, Cracked Rear View , is currently the 15th best-selling album of all time in the US, going platinum 16 times.

History

Hootie & the Blowfish formed in 1986. The quartet met when they were freshmen at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia . Bryan heard Rucker singing in the showers of the dorm they shared and was impressed by his vocal ability. They began playing cover version|cover tunes as The Wolf Brothers; eventually they collaborated with Felber, a former high school bandmate of Bryan's, and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld as Hootie & the Blowfish.

Brantley Smith was the original drummer for the band. He left the group to pursue music ministry, but he has made scattered guest appearances with the band (he played cello on their MTV Unplugged performance in 1996, and played drums at Gruene Hall in Gruene, Texas , on June 27, 2008).

The group independently released two cassette demo Extended play|EP s in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, they pressed 50,000 copies of a self-released EP, Kootchypop , which was named after a reference to female genitalia in a stand-up comedy act by '' What's Happening co-star Shirley Hemphill . Their mainstream debut album was Cracked Rear View (1994). It was an instant success, ultimately going RIAA certification|platinum 16 times in the U.S. and becoming the best-selling album of 1995. The album was propelled by four hits, " Cracked Rear View|Hold My Hand " (U.S. #10), " Let Her Cry " (U.S. #9), " Only Wanna Be with You " (U.S. #6), and "Time" (U.S. #14). In 1995, Hootie and the Blowfish and Bob Dylan reached an out-of-court settlement for the group's unauthorized use of Dylan's lyrics in their song "Only Wanna Be with You.", November 3. VH1.com. Accessed May 25, 2007. Miami Dolphins ' Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino appeared in the band's music video|video for the song "Only Wanna Be with You", along with several other athletes.Hootie and the Blowfish. A Series of Short Trips (DVD). Atlantic, 1996.

The band won the "Best New Artist" award at the 1996 Grammy Awards . Hootie & the Blowfish appeared on MTV Unplugged on the eve of the release of their second album, 1996's Fairweather Johnson . Though sales began promisingly, and it contained the hit single "Old Man and Me" (U.S. #13), the album sold four million copies in the U.S. Hootie & the Blowfish has since released three more studio albums: Musical Chairs (Hootie & the Blowfish album)|Musical Chairs , Hootie & the Blowfish (album)|Hootie & the Blowfish , and Looking for Lucky . They also released a A-side and B-side|B-side s and rarities compilation album|compilation in 2000 entitled Scattered, Smothered and Covered . This album is named in tribute of Waffle House , a popular Southern chain of all-night diners. Specifically, the title refers to an order of hash browns scattered on the grill, smothered with diced onion s and covered with melted cheese. Cnn.com Archive, November 3, 2000. Accessed February 5, 2007.

In 1995, Hootie & the Blowfish contributed the song " Hey Hey What Can I Do " to the Encomium (album)|Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin . Their cover version|cover of Canadian group 54-40 's " I Go Blind ", originally released on the soundtrack to the TV series Friends in 1995, did not appear on Cracked Rear View or Fairweather Johnson , but nevertheless became a hit at radio in 1996 after three singles from Fairweather Johnson had been released. Both "Hey Hey What Can I Do" and "I Go Blind" were later released on the collection Scattered, Smothered and Covered .

Hootie and the Blowfish started their own record label, Breaking Records, in 1996 as a subsidiary of Atlantic Records|Atlantic . They had planned to focus on signing local Carolina acts. Edwin McCain and Cravin' Melon were both associated with the label at one point, but did not release any material on it. The Meat Puppets , Jump, Little Children , Treadmill Trackstar and Treehouse released one album each on Breaking Records. The label folded in 2000.

In 1998, they performed on Frank Wildhorn|Frank Wildhorn's concept album of the musical The Civil War (musical)|The Civil War . Playbill.com, June 15, 2006. Accessed March 13, 2010.

Hootie covered the 1968 Orpheus hit "Can't Find the Time" in 2001 for the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey film|movie , Me, Myself and Irene . Orpheus creator and the song's writer Bruce Arnold traded verses with Darius on several occasions, when the band played live on the West Coast.

The band had an extensive touring schedule, including an annual New Year's Eve show at the Silverton Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas metropolitan area|Las Vegas . In 2008, the band started releasing their concerts as downloads through trueAnthem.

In 2009, Hootie and the Blowfish performed live in a ballet which chronicled their rise and success in the 1990s. Free Times (Columbia, SC), March 31, 2009, accessed April 17, 2009

Hiatus

In 2008, Rucker announced in an AOL Sessions interview that Hootie and the Blowfish would be going on hiatus so Rucker could pursue his solo career as a country music performer. Although the band will no longer be recording or touring, Rucker confirmed that they will still perform their scheduled charity concerts, stating, "We have four charity gigs every year and we will still do them, but we will not do a record or tour." Rucker also said that the split will last "for five or six years, or until I record three or four country albums". He later amended his statement, saying, "To be honest with you, we're not even split up right now, and we're not really thinking about splitting up.". Alternative Addiction, December 20, 2008.

Rucker has recorded a solo album, Learn to Live , for Capitol Records . It includes the singles " Don't Think I Don't Think About It ", " It Won't Be Like This for Long ", " Alright (Darius Rucker song)|Alright ", all three of which have reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart, and " History in the Making " which peaked at #3 on the U. S. Hot Country Songs chart. Rucker's second solo album Charleston, SC 1966 was released October 8, 2010.

The name

The band's name comes from one of Rucker's college choir friends, who was never a band member. Rucker, with a round face and glasses, was nicknamed Hootie because of his perceived owl -like appearance. The Blowfish , a college friend of Rucker's, got his nickname from his facial appearance, in his case, chubby cheeks. Rucker is often referred to as Hootie while his band is referred to as The Blowfish. Rolling Stone, September 15, 1998. Accessed February 5, 2007.

Charity work

Hootie & The Blowfish have become known not only for their music, but also for their charity work. The entire band and crew traveled to New Orleans for five days of building houses in Musicians' Village , on October 16–20, 2006. The band's members are avid golf ers, and have sponsored the annual spring Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament, benefiting local charities, since 1995.

Hootie and the Blowfish toured through the Middle East and Europe supporting American troops during a USO Tour. One highlight of the tour was on December 5, 1998, when Darius Rucker broke into an a cappella solo of the National Anthem during the lowering of colors on board , which was docked in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. The band then played an extended concert for crew members of the aircraft carrier, Defense.gov. Retrieved August 2011

Each year from 2005 through 2009, Hootie and the Blowfish performed at The Animal Mission’s 'Party Animals' silent auction and concert to benefit the shelter animals in Columbia, South Carolina . Each year the event raised over $100,000 and allowed the organization to provide a free spay/neuter program for the Southern community’s pets. Hootie and the Blowfish reunited to do a show at Incirlik Air base in Turkey on 18 October 2008, to show their support for the troops.

"Grammy award winning artists Hootie and The Blowfish are taking their
charity work to a new level by donating the rights to their best-selling song "Hold My Hand" to aid the working poor. Leading the effort for the band is songwriter and drummer Jim Sonefeld who teamed with the nationally-ranked Benedict College Gospel Choir to produce a new recording of the song.
Taking its cue from the song's lyrics, organizers are calling the project, With A Little Love. The idea came about last year as non-profits across the country struggled to raise money during the recession.The message behind "Hold My Hand", first recorded in 1994, was a perfect fit for the current day struggles of many working poor." http://il.youtube.com/user/withalittlelovesong

Personnel

Darius Rucker & nbsp;– lead vocals , rhythm guitar , harmonica (1986-present)

Mark Bryan & nbsp;– lead guitar , backing vocals , piano (1986-present)

Dean Felber& nbsp;– bass guitar , backing vocals , piano (1986-present)

Jim Sonefeld & nbsp;– drum kit|drums , percussion , backing vocals|vocals (1989-present)

;Touring members:

Peter Holsapple & nbsp;– Keyboard instrument|keyboards , mandolin , guitar , lap steel (1995-1999; 2003-present)

Gary Greene& nbsp;– percussion , Drum kit|drums , guitar , piano (1995-1999; 2001-present)

;Former members:

Brantley Smith & nbsp;- Drum kit|drums (1986-1989)

John Nau & nbsp;- keyboards , mandolin , harmonica (1999-2003) (Touring member)

Philip "Fish" Fisher & nbsp;- percussion , Drum kit|drums (2000-2001) (Touring member)

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions									Certifications ( List of best selling music artists
Year	Album details	US cite web	US Indie	AUS cite web	GER cite web	NL cite web	NZ cite web	SWE cite web	SWI cite web	UK cite web	Certifications ( List of best selling music artists
1994	Cracked Rear View Release date: July 5, 1994 Label: Atlantic Records	1	—	7	45	—	1	—	—	12	style="text-align:left;" Recording Industry Association of America\|US : 16& times; Multi-Platinum British Phonographic Industry\|UK : Gold Canadian Recording Industry Association\|CAN : Diamond
1996	Fairweather Johnson Release date: April 23, 1996 Label: Atlantic Records	1	—	12	41	37	6	36	37	9	style="text-align:left;" US: 3& times; Platinum UK: Silver
1998	Musical Chairs (Hootie & the Blowfish album) Release date: September 15, 1998 Label: Atlantic Records	4	—	—	72	—	20	—	—	15	style="text-align:left;" US: Platinum
2003	Hootie & the Blowfish (album) Release date: March 4, 2003 Label: Atlantic Records	46	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	161
2005	Looking for Lucky Release date: August 9, 2005 Label: Vanguard Records	47	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
Year	Album details	US	US Indie
2000	Scattered, Smothered and Covered Release date: October 24, 2000 Label: Atlantic Records	71	—
2004	The Best of Hootie & the Blowfish: 1993-2003 Release date: March 2, 2004 Label: Atlantic/ Rhino Records	62	—
2006	Live in Charleston Release date: August 8, 2006 Label: Vanguard Records	—	47
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions									Album
Year	Single	US cite web	US Main	US AC	US Adult	AUS cite web	CAN cite web	GER cite web	NZ cite web	UK	Album
1994	" Hold My Hand (Hootie & the Blowfish song)	10	4	6	—	70	36	—	37	50	Cracked Rear View
1994	" Let Her Cry "	9	9	7	—	4	2	78	19	75
1995	" Only Wanna Be with You "	6	2	3	3	40	1	65	17	87
	"Time"	14	26	4	1	—	1	—	35	—
	"Drowning"	—	21	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	" I Go Blind "	—	—	22	3	—	—	—	—	—	Friends Soundtrack
	" Hey Hey What Can I Do "	—	15	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Encomium (album)
1996	"Old Man & Me (When I Get To Heaven)"	13	6	18	4	60	1	75	41	57	Fairweather Johnson
	"Tucker's Town"	38	29	24	12	—	2	—	—	79
	"Sad Caper"	—	—	—	26	—	—	—	—	—
1998	"I Will Wait"	—	—	28	3	—	7	—	—	57	Musical Chairs
1999	"Only Lonely"	—	—	29	25	—	—	—	—	169	Musical Chairs
2003	"Innocence"	—	—	25	24	—	—	—	—	—	Hootie & the Blowfish
2003	"Goodbye Girl"	—	—	24	—	—	—	—	—	—	The Best of Hootie & the Blowfish
2005	"One Love"	—	—	5	20	—	—	—	—	—	Looking for Lucky
2006	"Get Out of My Mind"	—	—	17	17	—	—	—	—	—	Looking for Lucky
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos

Year	Video	Director
1994	"Let Her Cry"	Adolfo Doring

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