Did the Dolphins Make You Cry???

 

TITLE: Life's Too Short

AUTHOR: Darius Rucker

PUBLISHER: Dey Street Books

PUBLISHING DATE: May 28, 2024

PAGES: 256   

SOURCE: Own

FROM GOODREADS: 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I'll admit that I haven't followed Rucker's career a whole lot since he has moved to country, as it's not one of my favorite music genres, but I am a HUGE Hootie and the Blowfish fan and their debut album was the first CD Mr. Mike bought me when we started dating.  I also had no idea this book was on the horizon but when I caught him on the Today show promoting it the week it was set to release, I immediately ordered a copy.

The formatting of this book really solidifies it as one of my favorite memoirs ever.  There are 21 chapters each named for a song in Rucker's life which meant a lot to him.  The book ranges from his childhood with five siblings and a single mother, to his days in college and with Hootie, and then how he always knew he was meant to sing country music.  I also love that he emphasizes Hootie never broke up, they just moved on (in fact, they have a tour planned this summer).  Rucker talks some about the women in his life as well as his children but is very respective considering Hootie was basically dubbed a party band (which I also never really knew).  I had no idea Rucker struggled with addiction but his openness about his struggles really showed how hard the rock and roll life can really be.

If you love memoirs, music or just Rucker in general, then I strongly recommend you pick up this book.  I flew through it and it made me really revisit some of my favorite songs, including those from his lesser-known single R & B album, which many are not familiar with, but which remains an all-time fave.  My only complainant is when I finished, I wanted more.

MY RATING: 5 Paws