 Hootie & the Blowfish's mainstream pop variation of
blues-rock brought the band to the top of the charts in
1995. Formed at the University of South Carolina, the group
features lead vocalist/guitarist
Darius Rucker,
Mark Bryan,
Dean Felber, and
Jim "Soni" Sonefeld; the name refers to two friends of
the band, not Rucker and the group itself. Cracked Rear
View, the group's first album, was released in the fall of
1994 and a single, "Hold My Hand," worked its way into the
Top Ten by the beginning of 1995. Its success propelled the
album to number one, as well as launching a second hit, "Let
Her Cry," which was quickly followed by "Only Wanna Be With
You."
Cracked Rear View had become a massive success by the
fall of 1995, going platinum several times over. By the time
Hootie & the Blowfish released its second album, Fairweather Johnson,
in the spring of 1996, the debut had sold 13 million copies
in the U.S. alone. Fairweather Johnson initially didn't
replicate that success. It entered the charts at number one
and sold two million copies within its first four months of
release, but it didn't produce any hit singles on the level
of the debut's "Hold My Hand" or "Let Her Cry." Musical
Chairs followed in 1998. The album Scattered, Smothered, and
Covered was issued two years later, featuring previously
unreleased material, songs polled by the fans, and
Hootie & the Blowfish's
own tributes to R.E.M. and
the Smiths. The band returned with new studio material
on a 2003 self-titled effort for Atlantic, and followed in
2004 with an engaging Best of set. It included all their big
hits as well cover songs like 4-40's "I Go Blind." Hootie &
the Blowfish toured for most of the year in support of the
hits collection, then returned to the studio. The result was
Looking for Lucky, released in August 2005 through their own
Sneaky Long imprint. Lucky featured contributions from
numerous guests, including Matraca Berg and members of the
Silos. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Hootie & the Blowfish for your next corporate or private
event.
|
