Hootie & the Blowfish founder Darius Rucker said he was "shocked" after being arrested in April in Tennessee on misdemeanor drug charges.
At the time, it was reported that he faced three misdemeanor charges, two related to drugs, with counts including possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance, and a vehicle registration violation.
"It shocked me," Rucker told People in a new interview. "My friends who were in the police department were like, 'Have you pissed somebody off up here? Because this is crazy that they're doing this a year later.' But I think somebody wanted to make an example out of me, and they did.
"I'm handling it with my lawyers. And paying the price, and we'll move on with our lives. It sucks. Fifty-seven years, never seen inside of a police car or jail, and I get busted for that."
In February 2023, the singer was stopped by police for having expired tags, during which authorities discovered marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms in his car, despite recreational marijuana being illegal in Tennessee, People noted. Although he was initially released without charges, a warrant for his arrest was issued in December 2023.
Rucker is now working on his new memoir, which details his life journey from South Carolina to his rise to fame with Hootie & the Blowfish. The book also addresses his past substance abuse, highlighting how he quit hard drugs after being issued an ultimatum from his ex-wife Beth, which he credits for saving his life.
"I hope my journey pleasantly surprises people and makes them go, 'Wow,'" he told People. "Not a lot of people know a lot about me. They know my music and what I do, but they don't know how you got there."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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