Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Life's Too Short

A Memoir

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

""Darius has always been one of my favorite people to sing with and to call a friend in this industry and yet even knowing him well for as long as I have, there are so many incredible stories in Life's Too Short that I enjoyed learning for the first time."Sheryl Crow

*A NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller*

A raw, heartfelt memoir from Darius Rucker, the Grammy Award– winning country music sensation and multiplatinum-selling lead singer of Hootie & The Blowfish

In 1986 Darius Rucker cofounded Hootie & The Blowfish at the University of South Carolina. What began as a party band playing frat houses and dive bars quickly became a global pop rock phenomenon through their multiplatinum-selling debut album, cracked rear view, which featured era-defining hit songs like "Only Wanna Be with You," "Let Her Cry," and "Hold My Hand." Later, Darius would chart a pioneering path as a solo country music artist, with classic anthems like "Wagon Wheel" and "Alright."

Nearly forty years after the band's formation, Darius tells his remarkable story through the lens of the songs that shaped him—from Al Green, Stevie Wonder, and KISS to Lou Reed, Billy Joel, Nanci Griffith, and so many more.

Set against the soundtrack of his life, Darius recounts his childhood as the son of a single mother in Charleston, South Carolina. He traces the unlikely ascent of his band and shares wild tales of life on the road—but he also faces his missteps, defeats, and demons. As moving as it is entertaining, Life's Too Short is a timeless book about a man and his music.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 10, 2024
      Hootie and the Blowfish singer Rucker reflects on his professional success and pays tribute to the music that shaped him in this run-of-the-mill autobiography. Rucker grew up in Charleston, S.C., and fell in love early with his single mother’s favorite musicians—especially Al Green—who soundtracked the family’s evenings and weekends. By the time Rucker was in elementary school, he was determined to become a singer; in 1986, he formed Hootie and the Blowfish with friends he met at the University of South Carolina. (The band’s name was inspired by two of the group’s nonmusician friends: one with owlish glasses, another with bulging cheeks “like the jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.”) After exhausting the Southern college circuit, the band broke through with a 1994 performance on The Late Show with David Letterman. As Rucker catalogs the group’s late-’90s success and his mellower career as a solo country artist after the band broke up in 2011, he speaks candidly about his former cocaine use, his confrontations with racist concertgoers and industry professionals, and his anxieties about fatherhood. Nothing in the account feels revelatory, but it’s a solid enough glimpse at rock stardom. This is best suited for Rucker’s most committed fans. Agent: Anthony Mattero, CAA.

    • Library Journal

      September 1, 2024

      From his home studio in Tennessee, laid-back Hootie & the Blowfish lead Rucker, for whom life has always been about music, cheerily narrates this playlist of life stories. Music pulled at him as early as age six, and he showed an innate sense for recognizing gifted musicians with lasting power in the industry, including Al Green, Barry Manilow, KISS, Nanci Griffith, R.E.M., and the Notorious B.I.G. Rucker fondly recalls Hootie & the Blowfish's 1985 origins as a group of USC-Columbia students who played their way through local bars. After eight years, they reached mega-stardom with their album Cracked Rear View, which became one of the best-selling albums in music history. In 2008, due to constant touring, the drain of longstanding heavy substance use, and bandmates wishing to explore other life experiences, the group paused touring. Rucker's desire to make a country record was fulfilled that year; his first number-one song as a country artist soon followed, and his version of the country standard "Wagon Wheel" won a Grammy. The memoir avoids oversharing about personal relationships, and Rucker's loyalty to friends and family shines through. VERDICT A recommended purchase. Rucker's easygoing storytelling will have listeners hitting play on his music long after the memoir's end.--Kym Goering

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      With his recognizable gravelly voice, the Hootie and the Blowfish singer delivers his heartfelt memoir with genuine gusto. He narrates clearly and naturally, always sounding engaged with the considerable pathos of his personal life and career in music: his substance abuse, early career playing at frat parties and dive bars, and eventual status as a solo country music star. What also makes this audiobook special is what we learn about Rucker's family, his personal challenges, and his devotion to his art. He was all in from an early age, putting to work his ear for the musical hook and gift for the storyline that grabs people's hearts. LIFE'S TOO SHORT is also a fascinating insider's view of the effort and sacrifices needed for musicians to chase the uncertain prize of commercial success. T.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading