BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WCSC) – Southern Living magazine named Grammy-winning musician and Lowcountry native Darius Rucker the “Southerner of the Year”.
The magazine said it made the selection in celebration of the “significant; charity work and countless achievements. “
He listed examples that included his collection of more than $ 2 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital over the years, supporting public education and junior golf in South Carolina, serving as national president of the new National Museum of Afro Music -American and inspiring a new generation of artists by becoming the first black co-host of the CMA Awards since Charley Pride in 1975.
Rucker talked about the lessons his mother taught him to editor-in-chief Sid Evans. He said he spends a lot of time and effort in return because it is “the right thing to do”.
“You know, I’m so lucky,” he said. “Even before, when I was performing at clubs that earned $ 100 a night, we used to do a show every year for an orphanage in Columbia, just because it was something we wanted to support. But it really is what my mother taught me. “
He said he sees some of his mother’s courage and spirit in health professionals who have struggled to protect patients from the pandemic.
“You know, my mom is long gone and I still miss her a lot,” he said. “But during all of this, I thought about her a lot. If I were a child now and my mother a nurse, I would never see her because she would take all the shifts available to help people, not just patients, but other nurses who just need a break. “
He said he was inspired to raise money for St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital after visiting the facility with stars Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley.
“We walked and met many of these wonderful children and talked to the doctors and administrators, who told us that no parent receives an account,” he said. “That was so incredible for me, and I just wanted to be a part of it.”
The magazine published a behind-the-scenes video of the photo shoot that includes a short musical version of COVID’s farewell.
Rucker’s interview will be published in the April issue of the magazine.
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