LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� In 1992, country star 鈥檚 mom died of a heart attack. That was two years before his band, Hootie and the Blowfish, would release their debut record 鈥淐racked Rear View." It went No. 1 and eventually become diamond certified, twice.
Carolyn Rucker didn鈥檛 get to experience her son's incredible success 鈥� either in the rock band, or in the 2000s, as a Grammy award winning country music superstar. It's been 10 years since he released his cover of 鈥淲agon Wheel,鈥� one of the of all time.
But Darius Rucker never stopped thinking about her. On Friday, he released 鈥淐arolyn鈥檚 Boy,鈥� his eighth solo full-length album in tribute to his mom.
鈥淚 was writing the record, I was having a bad day, you know, bad mental day. And I just remember I sat there, and I said to myself, 鈥楢t the end of the day, I鈥檓 just still my mama鈥檚 boy.鈥� And that was really the moment for me, you know, that鈥檚 what the record is,鈥� he told The Associated Press. 鈥淚t鈥檚 me just being who she raised me to be.鈥�
And though it has been over three decades since her death, Rucker says he finally got to a point where he knew it was time to thank her in this way 鈥� through a collection of 14 cheery country music tracks. 鈥淣ow that I'm a dad, three times over with grown kids, I just wanted to pay tribute to my mom who never got to see any of this stuff, any of this success.鈥�
Songs that might sound like they鈥檙e about a romantic relationship or a carefree afternoon 鈥� such as 鈥淣ever Been Over,鈥� with its folky acoustic riff, or the laidback radio hit 鈥淏eers and Sunshine鈥� 鈥� recall Carolyn. Especially the latter. "She worked hard. She was a nurse,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen she came home, she wanted a Budweiser and to sit on the back porch.鈥�
But, he adds, the listener could find resonance in these songs with any kind of relationship. 鈥淟ove is love, even though there鈥檚 different kinds of love,鈥� he adds, so to others, these songs could be about 鈥測our cousin or your uncle or your brother or your mom or your dad.鈥�
Still, 鈥淵ou never stop missing your mom,鈥� he says. She was his first fan 鈥� and as he describes her, a 鈥渕uch better singer." Rucker's mom inspired him to become a performer, because she was his first audience, watching a young Darius sing Al Green songs into the salt and pepper shaker.
There鈥檚 nothing somber about this tribute album 鈥� 鈥淐arolyn's Boy鈥� is about the good times. 鈥淛oyful is the word,鈥� Rucker says. 鈥淪he was a happy person.鈥�
Optimism is found all over 鈥淐arolyn鈥檚 Boy." Like in the only collaboration on the album, 鈥淥l鈥� Church Hymn,鈥� featuring , made up of sisters Danica Hart and Devynn Hart and their cousin Trea Swindle. Rucker saw a video of the group covering Dolly Parton鈥檚 鈥淛olene鈥� on Twitter, fell in love with their choir-like voices, and slid into their DMs to ask if they鈥檇 want to cut a record. 鈥淭hose family harmonies, you can鈥檛 match that,鈥� he says.
Then there鈥檚 the nostalgic, romantic ballad 鈥淪ara,鈥� a song Rucker went to London to write with . He鈥檚 known Sheeran since the English singer opened for in the U.S. early on, and they became friends.
鈥淲e just kept talking about writing together some day. And so, I said, 鈥楢ll right.鈥� And I actually go on a plane; I was there less than 24 hours," he says. "We sat around and wrote all day and then we got really drunk and I came home," he laughs.
If anything, that is the spirit Rucker carries hopes throughout 鈥淐arolyn鈥檚 Boy": it should sound like a celebration.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
