Hootie and the Blowfish

With the rich, bluesy vocals of Darius Rucker and gleeful harmonies of guitarist Mark Bryan, bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Hootie & the Blowfish sold over 25 million records worldwide after their infectious melodies hit the airwaves in 1994 with hits such as “Hold My Hand”, “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You.”

The quartet met while attending the University of South Carolina in Columbia in the late 1980s. New freshman Mark Bryan heard Darius Rucker singing in the showers of the dorm they shared and was impressed by his vocal ability. Bryan and Rucker began playing cover tunes as The Wolf Brothers and eventually hooked up with Dean Felber, a former high school bandmate of Bryan’s, and Brantley Smith as Hootie & The Blowfish. (The unlikely moniker was borrowed from the nicknames of two college friends.) When Smith’s true passion called him home to Greenville, SC in 1989, Bryan reached out to classmate Jim (Soni) Sonefeld to join the band and the immediate chemistry was undeniable!

The band’s secret weapon, and the force that pulls all of its diverse influences together, is the voice of Darius Rucker, an expressive instrument brimming with gritty soul and subtle wit. When he sings, the songs are imbued with a buoyant good humor and an openhearted joy that connects on an almost spiritual level with audiences all over the world. “Having Darius in the band is a wonderful luxury,” Mark Bryan explained. “We can try something funky, or bluegrassy or a ballad; we can run the gamut stylistically, but never stray too far from our sound because once Darius starts singing, it’s Hootie and the Blowfish.

In December of 2018, the band appeared on the Today Show to announce a return to full-time touring along with news of a forthcoming album. The 2019 Group Therapy Tour saw the band play to sold-out crowds across the U.S. and Canada, including two nights at the iconic Madison Square Garden, as well as a run of shows throughout the U.K. and Ireland. The triumphant return to the road earned Hootie & the Blowfish several prominent profiles recognizing their important musical legacy, including the cover story of the New York Times Arts & Leisure section. On November 1, 2019, they released their first new music in nearly 15 years with Imperfect Circle, named one of the “biggest albums to hear this season” by Entertainment Weekly and featuring radio single “Hold On.”