- Hootie & the Blowfish
-
Hootie & the Blowfish 
The band in 1998, pictured left to right: Sonefeld (behind drum kit), Felber, Rucker, and Bryan.Background information Origin Columbia, South Carolina, United States Genres Pop rock, alternative rock, jangle pop, roots rock, heartland rock, country rock Years active 1986–2008 (fully active)
2008–present (semi-active)Labels Atlantic, Sneaky Long, Vanguard Website hootie.com Members Darius Rucker
Dean Felber
Jim Sonefeld
Mark BryanHootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band that enjoyed popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, and Mark Bryan. The band has recorded five studio albums to date, and has charted sixteen singles on various Billboard singles charts. Their 1994 debut album, Cracked Rear View, is currently the 15th best-selling album of all time in the US, going platinum 16 times.
Contents
History
Hootie & the Blowfish formed in 1986. The quartet met when they were freshmen at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Bryan heard Rucker singing in the showers of the dorm they shared and was impressed by his vocal ability. They began playing cover tunes as The Wolf Brothers; eventually they collaborated with Felber, a former high school bandmate of Bryan's, and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld as Hootie & the Blowfish.
Brantley Smith was the original drummer for the band. He left the group to pursue music ministry, but he has made scattered guest appearances with the band (he played cello on their MTV Unplugged performance in 1996, and played drums at Gruene Hall in Gruene, Texas, on June 27, 2008).
The group independently released two cassette demo EPs in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, they pressed 50,000 copies of a self-released EP, Kootchypop, which was named after a reference to female genitalia in a stand-up comedy act by What's Happening co-star Shirley Hemphill.[citation needed] Their mainstream debut album was Cracked Rear View (1994). It was an instant success, ultimately going platinum 16 times in the U.S. and becoming the best-selling album of 1995. The album was propelled by four hits, "Hold My Hand" (U.S. #10), "Let Her Cry" (U.S. #9), "Only Wanna Be with You" (U.S. #6), and "Time" (U.S. #14).[1] In 1995, Hootie and the Blowfish and Bob Dylan reached an out-of-court settlement for the group's unauthorized use of Dylan's lyrics in their song "Only Wanna Be with You."[2] Miami Dolphins' Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino appeared in the band's video for the song "Only Wanna Be with You", along with several other athletes.[3]
The band won the "Best New Artist" award at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Hootie & the Blowfish appeared on MTV Unplugged on the eve of the release of their second album, 1996's Fairweather Johnson. Though sales began promisingly, and it contained the hit single "Old Man and Me" (U.S. #13), the album sold four million copies in the U.S. Hootie & the Blowfish has since released three more studio albums: Musical Chairs, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Looking for Lucky. They also released a B-sides and rarities compilation in 2000 entitled Scattered, Smothered and Covered. This album is named in tribute of Waffle House, a popular Southern chain of all-night diners. Specifically, the title refers to an order of hash browns scattered on the grill, smothered with diced onions and covered with melted cheese.[4]
In 1995, Hootie & the Blowfish contributed the song "Hey Hey What Can I Do" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin. Their cover of Canadian group 54-40's "I Go Blind", originally released on the soundtrack to the TV series Friends in 1995, did not appear on Cracked Rear View or Fairweather Johnson, but nevertheless became a hit at radio in 1996 after three singles from Fairweather Johnson had been released. Both "Hey Hey What Can I Do" and "I Go Blind" were later released on the collection Scattered, Smothered and Covered.
Hootie and the Blowfish started their own record label, Breaking Records, in 1996 as a subsidiary of Atlantic. They had planned to focus on signing local Carolina acts. Edwin McCain and Cravin' Melon were both associated with the label at one point, but did not release any material on it. The Meat Puppets, Jump, Little Children, Treadmill Trackstar and Treehouse released one album each on Breaking Records. The label folded in 2000.
In 1998, they performed on Frank Wildhorn's concept album of the musical The Civil War.[5]
Hootie covered the 1968 Orpheus hit "Can't Find the Time" in 2001 for the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey movie, Me, Myself and Irene. Orpheus creator and the song's writer Bruce Arnold traded verses with Darius on several occasions, when the band played live on the West Coast.
The band had an extensive touring schedule, including an annual New Year's Eve show at the Silverton Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In 2008, the band started releasing their concerts as downloads through trueAnthem.[6]
In 2009, Hootie and the Blowfish performed live in a ballet which chronicled their rise and success in the 1990s.[7]
Hiatus
In 2008, Rucker announced in an AOL Sessions interview that Hootie and the Blowfish would be going on hiatus so Rucker could pursue his solo career as a country music performer. Although the band will no longer be recording or touring, Rucker confirmed that they will still perform their scheduled charity concerts, stating, "We have four charity gigs every year and we will still do them, but we will not do a record or tour."[8] Rucker also said that the split will last "for five or six years, or until I record three or four country albums". He later amended his statement, saying, "To be honest with you, we're not even split up right now, and we're not really thinking about splitting up."[9]
Rucker has recorded a solo album, Learn to Live, for Capitol Records. It includes the singles "Don't Think I Don't Think About It", "It Won't Be Like This for Long", "Alright", all three of which have reached #1 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart, and "History in the Making" which peaked at #3 on the U. S. Hot Country Songs chart. Rucker's second solo album Charleston, SC 1966 was released October 8, 2010.
The name
The band's name comes from one of Rucker's college choir friends,[citation needed] who was never a band member. Rucker, with a round face and glasses, was nicknamed Hootie because of his perceived owl-like appearance.[citation needed] The Blowfish, a college friend of Rucker's, got his nickname from his facial appearance, in his case, chubby cheeks.[citation needed] Rucker is often referred to as Hootie while his band is referred to as The Blowfish.[10]
Charity work
Hootie & The Blowfish have become known not only for their music, but also for their charity work. The entire band and crew traveled to New Orleans for five days of building houses in Musicians' Village, on October 16–20, 2006.[11] The band's members are avid golfers, and have sponsored the annual spring Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament, benefiting local charities, since 1995.[12]
Hootie and the Blowfish toured through the Middle East and Europe supporting American troops during a USO Tour. One highlight of the tour was on December 5, 1998, when Darius Rucker broke into an a cappella solo of the National Anthem during the lowering of colors on board USS Enterprise (CVN-65), which was docked in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. The band then played an extended concert for crew members of the aircraft carrier[13]
Each year from 2005 through 2009, Hootie and the Blowfish performed at The Animal Mission’s 'Party Animals' silent auction and concert to benefit the shelter animals in Columbia, South Carolina. Each year the event raised over $100,000 and allowed the organization to provide a free spay/neuter program for the Southern community’s pets. Hootie and the Blowfish reunited to do a show at Incirlik Air base in Turkey on 18 October 2008, to show their support for the troops.
"Grammy award winning artists Hootie and The Blowfish are taking their charity work to a new level by donating the rights to their best-selling song "Hold My Hand" to aid the working poor. Leading the effort for the band is songwriter and drummer Jim Sonefeld who teamed with the nationally-ranked Benedict College Gospel Choir to produce a new recording of the song. Taking its cue from the song's lyrics, organizers are calling the project, With A Little Love. The idea came about last year as non-profits across the country struggled to raise money during the recession.The message behind "Hold My Hand", first recorded in 1994, was a perfect fit for the current day struggles of many working poor." [14]
Personnel
- Darius Rucker – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica (1986-present)
- Mark Bryan – lead guitar, backing vocals, piano (1986-present)
- Dean Felber – bass guitar, backing vocals, piano (1986-present)
- Jim Sonefeld – drums, percussion, vocals (1989-present)
- Touring members
- Peter Holsapple – keyboards, mandolin, guitar, lap steel (1995-1999; 2003-present)
- Gary Greene – percussion, drums, guitar, piano (1995-1999; 2001-present)
- Former members
- Brantley Smith -drums (1986-1989)
- John Nau -keyboards, mandolin, harmonica (1999-2003) (Touring member)
- Philip "Fish" Fisher - percussion, drums (2000-2001) (Touring member)
Discography
Studio albums
Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)US
[15]US Indie
[15]AUS
[16]GER
[17]NL
[18]NZ
[19]SWE
[20]SWI
[21]UK
[22]1994 Cracked Rear View - Release date: July 5, 1994
- Label: Atlantic Records
1 — 7 45 — 1 — — 12 1996 Fairweather Johnson - Release date: April 23, 1996
- Label: Atlantic Records
1 — 12 41 37 6 36 37 9 1998 Musical Chairs - Release date: September 15, 1998
- Label: Atlantic Records
4 — — 72 — 20 — — 15 - US: Platinum[23]
2003 Hootie & the Blowfish - Release date: March 4, 2003
- Label: Atlantic Records
46 — — — — — — — 161 2005 Looking for Lucky - Release date: August 9, 2005
- Label: Vanguard Records
47 4 — — — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart Compilation albums
Year Album details Peak chart
positionsUS
[15]US Indie
[15]2000 Scattered, Smothered and Covered - Release date: October 24, 2000
- Label: Atlantic Records
71 — 2004 The Best of Hootie & the Blowfish: 1993-2003 - Release date: March 2, 2004
- Label: Atlantic/Rhino Records
62 — 2006 Live in Charleston - Release date: August 8, 2006
- Label: Vanguard Records
— 47 "—" denotes releases that did not chart Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions Album US
[26]US Main
[26]US AC
[26]US Adult
[26]AUS
[27]CAN
[28]GER
[29]NZ
[30]UK
[22]1994 "Hold My Hand" 10 4 6 — 70 36 — 37 50 Cracked Rear View "Let Her Cry" 9 9 7 — 4 2 78 19 75 1995 "Only Wanna Be with You" 6 2 3 3 40 1 65 17 87 "Time" 14 26 4 1 — 1 — 35 — "Drowning" — 21 — — — — — — — "I Go Blind" — — 22 3 — — — — — Friends Original TV Soundtrack "Hey Hey What Can I Do" — 15 — — — — — — — Encomium: a Tribute to Led Zeppelin 1996 "Old Man & Me (When I Get To Heaven)" 13 6 18 4 60 1 75 41 57 Fairweather Johnson "Tucker's Town" 38 29 24 12 — 2 — — 79 "Sad Caper" — — — 26 — — — — — 1998 "I Will Wait" — — 28 3 — 7 — — 57 Musical Chairs 1999 "Only Lonely" — — 29 25 — — — — 169 2003 "Innocence" — — 25 24 — — — — — Hootie & the Blowfish "Goodbye Girl" — — 24 — — — — — — The Best of Hootie & the Blowfish 2005 "One Love" — — 5 20 — — — — — Looking for Lucky 2006 "Get Out of My Mind" — — 17 17 — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart Music videos
Year Video Director 1994 "Let Her Cry" Adolfo Doring See also
- Live in the X Lounge II - Hootie & the Blowfish released live performances of their songs "Hold My Hand" and "Desert Mountain Showdown" in 1999 to this charity album which was released to benefit UCP of Greater Birmingham.
- List of best-selling music artists
References
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 459. ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
- ^ Rock Clock, November 3. VH1.com. Accessed May 25, 2007.
- ^ Hootie and the Blowfish. A Series of Short Trips (DVD). Atlantic, 1996.
- ^ Hootie & the Blowfish like songs "covered". Cnn.com Archive, November 3, 2000. Accessed February 5, 2007.
- ^ Gettysburg Welcomes Wildhorn's "New" Civil War Musical, For the Glory. Playbill.com, June 15, 2006. Accessed March 13, 2010.
- ^ Hootie & the Blowfish on trueAnthem[dead link]
- ^ Believe It or Not, Here's the Hootie Ballet. Free Times (Columbia, SC), March 31, 2009, accessed April 17, 2009
- ^ "Darius Rucker - Hootie Leaves the Blowfish". Contactmusic.com. 2008-08-29. http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/hootie%20leaves%20the%20blowfish_1078882. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
- ^ Hootie and the Blowfish to Return in 2009. Alternative Addiction, December 20, 2008.
- ^ Hootie Ya Love. Rolling Stone, September 15, 1998. Accessed February 5, 2007.
- ^ "Hootie & The Blowfish join Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans build Feature Story". Thecelebritycafe.com. http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/7793.html. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
- ^ "Hootie & The Blowfish Golf Tournament Page". Hootiegolf.com. 2011-04-08. http://www.hootiegolf.com/. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
- ^ News Photo, Defense.gov. Retrieved August 2011
- ^ http://il.youtube.com/user/withalittlelovesong
- ^ a b c d "allmusic ((( Hootie & the Blowfish > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44727. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "australian-charts.com - Australian charts portal". australian-charts.com. http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=Hootie+%26+the+Blowfish&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "Album Search: Hootie & The Blowfish" (in German). Media Control. http://www.charts.de/search.asp?search=Hootie+%26+The+Blowfish&x=0&y=0&cat=a&country=de. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl - Dutch charts portal". dutchcharts.nl. http://www.dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?search=hootie+%26+the+blowfish&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.org.nz. http://charts.org.nz/search.asp?search=Hootie+%26+the+Blowfish&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com - Swedish charts portal". swedishcharts.com. http://www.swedishcharts.com/search.asp?search=Hootie+%26+the+Blowfish&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". hitparade.ch. http://www.hitparade.ch/search.asp?cat=a&search=hootie+%26+the+blowfish. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ a b "Chart Log UK: H & Claire - Hysterix". Official Charts Company. http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_H.HTM. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ a b c "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - July 18, 2010: Hootie & the Blowfish certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Hootie%20&%20the%20Blowfish&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ a b "BPI search results". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) search results". Canadian Recording Industry Association. http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ a b c d "allmusic ((( Hootie & the Blowfish > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44727. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "australian-charts.com - Australian charts portal". australian-charts.com. http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=Hootie+%26+the+Blowfish&cat=s. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
- ^ "RPM Canada - charts". RPM magazine. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=l98pclvg74tn2cencpv8ra3o54&q1=hootie+%26+the+blowfish&q2=&interval=20. Retrieved 2011-04-12.
- ^ "Song Search: Hootie & the Blowfish" (in German). Media Control. http://www.charts.de/search.asp?search=Hootie+%26+The+Blowfish&x=9&y=11&cat=s&country=de. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
- ^ "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.org.nz. http://charts.org.nz/search.asp?search=Hootie+%26+the+Blowfish&cat=s. Retrieved 2010-07-18.
External links
- Hootie and Blowfish-related websites
- Band member sites
Studio albums Other albums Scattered, Smothered and Covered • The Best of Hootie & the Blowfish: 1993–2003 • Live in CharlestonSingles "Hold My Hand" • "Let Her Cry" • "Only Wanna Be with You" • "Time" • "Drowning" • "Hey Hey What Can I Do" • "Old Man & Me" • "Tucker's Town" • "Sad Caper" • "I Go Blind" • "I Will Wait" • "Only Lonely" • "Innocence" • "Goodbye Girl" • "One Love" • "Get Out of My Mind"Billboard Year-End number one albums (1990–2009) 1990: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 - Janet Jackson · 1991: Mariah Carey - Mariah Carey · 1992: Ropin' the Wind - Garth Brooks · 1993: The Bodyguard - Soundtrack · 1994: The Sign - Ace of Base · 1995: Cracked Rear View - Hootie & the Blowfish · 1996: Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette · 1997: Spice - Spice Girls · 1998: Titanic - Soundtrack · 1999: Millennium - Backstreet Boys · 2000: No Strings Attached - 'N Sync · 2001: 1 - The Beatles · 2002: The Eminem Show - Eminem · 2003: Get Rich or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent · 2004: Confessions - Usher · 2005: The Massacre - 50 Cent · 2006: Some Hearts - Carrie Underwood · 2007: Daughtry - Daughtry · 2008: As I Am - Alicia Keys · 2009: Fearless - Taylor Swift
Complete list · (1956–1969) · (1970–1989) · (1990–2009) · (2010–2029) Categories:- Hootie & the Blowfish
- Alternative rock groups from South Carolina
- Grammy Award winners
- Musical groups established in 1985
- Musical groups from South Carolina
- University of South Carolina alumni
- Atlantic Records artists
- Vanguard Records artists
- Musical groups disestablished in 2008
- Musical quartets
- Jam bands
- American pop rock music groups
- Rock music groups from South Carolina
- American post-grunge musical groups
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
