Country stars getting arrested isn’t a new thing. Actually, it’s kind of part of the country singer essentials kit when you get into the business. The latest famous name to find themselves in legal hot water is Darius Rucker.
According to TMZ, on Thursday, the Hootie and the Blowfish frontman was arrested in Williamson County, Tenn. He was booked on “two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance and one count of a violation of Tennessee’s vehicle registration law.” All three counts are misdemeanors. He was in custody for about an hour before being released on a $10,500 bond.
“Darius Rucker is fully cooperating with authorities related to misdemeanor charges,” Rucker’s attorney said in a statement.
The details of the controlled substance or why he was arrested aren’t known, but TMZ alleges that he had “expired tags on his car.” With the specifics of this incident currently unknown, it feels like this could possibly be a situation where there’s more to the story.
After ending 2023 with the release of his latest album, “Carolyn’s Boy,” in October and getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December, this isn’t the start to 2024 that the “Wagon Wheel” singer wanted. Perhaps he’ll be able to rebound when he hits the road this summer with Hootie and the Blowfish for The Summer Camp with Trucks Tour.
For the most part, the Grammy winner has stayed away from controversy, avoiding these sorts of headlines. That unproblematic image, combined with his well-known philanthropic work will probably buy him a lot of grace for what might allegedly be a minor transgression.
After all, Rucker is Black country music royalty.