We Speak Country

Darius Rucker Tells His Own Story in They Called Me Hootie, Premiering November 16 on Hulu

Published

1 hour ago

November 10, 2026

Darius Rucker. Photo via Darius Rucker on Instagram.

He fronted one of the biggest bands in America, then started over and conquered country radio. A new feature documentary follows Darius Rucker from Charleston to superstardom, in his own words and with the people who were there.

For more than four decades, Darius Rucker has defied expectations, rising to fame as a member of two-time Grammy Award-winning Hootie & the Blowfish before forging a groundbreaking career in country music that earned him another Grammy as a soloist. The new feature-length documentary “Darius Rucker: They Called Me Hootie” explores the triumphs and hardships that shaped Rucker’s life, from his childhood in Charleston, South Carolina, to music superstardom around the globe. The documentary, executive produced by “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts and directed by Emmy®-winner Jason Bergh, premieres Monday, Nov. 16, on Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ in select international markets.

Rucker gets deeply personal about the cost of stardom, revealing his struggles with drugs and alcohol, the breakdown of his marriage and brushes with death. Through candid interviews with collaborators, friends and family, new footage from the road and in the studio as he records his forthcoming album and never-before-seen tape dating back to the start of Hootie & the Blowfish, the film traces the full journey of his extraordinary career, revealing a deeply personal story of ambition, resilience and reinvention.

“When I look back on my life and career, I never could have imagined the road I’d take or where it would lead me,” reflects Rucker. “I’ve had opportunities beyond anything I dreamed of, but there have also been times when I had to take a chance, bet on myself and trust that I could do things my own way. But I’ve never walked that road alone. The love and support of my family, my road family and the people I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside have been at the heart of everything we’ve accomplished. With ‘They Called Me Hootie,’ I get to reflect on that journey, the people and experiences that shaped me, and share a side of my story that people may not know.”

“I crossed paths with Darius 30 years ago, when I was with ESPN and Hootie & the Blowfish first appeared on ‘College GameDay,'” said Roberts. “I’ve enjoyed following and covering his career ever since, but I’ve never seen Darius quite like this. This documentary reveals a side of Darius that is raw, vulnerable and unexpected. It’s a deeply personal story, and I think audiences will be surprised by what they discover about this exceptionally talented man.”

Sharing their personal stories are those who have known and worked with Rucker throughout his career, including actor Woody Harrelson; Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Mark Bryan and Dean Felber; country music stars Brad Paisley and Lady A; former manager Doc McGhee; and record producer Frank Rogers, among others. Their stories offer a revealing portrait of the man behind the music.

“Darius Rucker: They Called Me Hootie” is produced by ITV America Nashville for ABC News Studios. Directed and executive produced by Jason Bergh and executive produced by Adam Reed and Sarah Howell for ITV America Nashville. Robin Roberts serves as executive producer. For ABC News Studios, David Sloan is the senior executive producer, and Katie Conway is executive producer.

About Darius Rucker

Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, including their Double Diamond-certified (22x Platinum) debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012, and he won his third career Grammy Award in 2014 for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time and one of the few Country songs to amass over a billion streams on Spotify. His new single “I Believe” is available everywhere now, following his 2023 album Carolyn’s Boy plus his New York Times bestselling memoir “Life’s Too Short,” released via Dey Street in 2024.

For more information, visit www.dariusrucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

We Speak Country

Miranda Lambert Brings Her Night at The Truth to the World With Songline Album and Film

Published

1 hour ago

November 10, 2026

We Speak Media

Miranda Lambert. Photo via Miranda Lambert on Instagram.

One night in Nashville is about to reach everyone who was not in the room. Miranda Lambert recorded her special performance at The Truth with her longtime band and a 12-piece orchestra, and that evening now becomes an Amazon Music album and a companion film, with a live favorite already out now.

Following her unforgettable, one-night-only performance at Nashville’s newest venue, The Truth, three-time GRAMMY Award-winner Miranda Lambert will bring the magic of the evening to fans around the world with the release of her Songline album on Nov. 13 and companion Songline film on Nov. 20 via Amazon Music.

Recorded during the Oct. 1 performance, the Songline album captures Lambert performing a collection of career-spanning hits and fan favorites alongside her longtime band and a 12-piece orchestra. Ahead of the album’s arrival this Friday, the live version of current single “Snakeskin Boots,” from Lambert’s critically acclaimed new album Crisco, is available now exclusively on Amazon Music.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night at The Truth – getting to play these songs with my ride-or-die band and the magic of an orchestra, surrounded by so much love from the fans,” reflects Lambert. “These songs have been the soundtrack of my life, and being able to revisit that night through the Songline album and film is really special. I’m excited for everyone who wasn’t there to get to experience a little piece of it, too.”

The Songline film will premiere Nov. 20 on the Amazon Music app. Featuring the performances captured for the Songline album, the film also includes interview footage with Lambert and collaborators who have helped shape her music, including Frank Liddell, Jesse Frasure, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby.

Songline Track List
“Snakeskin Boots (Amazon Music Songline)”
“Crisco (Amazon Music Songline)”
“Kerosene (Amazon Music Songline)”
“Bluebird (Amazon Music Songline)”
“Vice (Amazon Music Songline)”
“Dear Diamond / Bathroom Sink / Dead Flowers” (Medley – Amazon Music Songline)
“Tin Man (Amazon Music Songline)”
“White Liar (Amazon Music Songline)”
“Gunpowder & Lead (Amazon Music Songline)”

About Miranda Lambert

Critically acclaimed groundbreaker/songwriter/superstar Miranda Lambert has defined her multifaceted career as an artist, entertainer, producer, entrepreneur, advocate and businesswoman with an unflinching quest for excellence, honesty and conviction. Her latest album, Crisco, featuring current single “Snakeskin Boots” with Ella Langley, is available everywhere now via MCA and continued her unbroken streak of 11 consecutive Top 10s on the Country Albums chart. The most-awarded artist in Academy of Country Music history, including their top honor for Entertainer of the Year, she has also won three GRAMMYs and 14 Country Music Association Awards. A TIME 100 honoree and perennial best-of-the-year list maker at the New York Times, TIME, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Stereogum, People and more, NPR has called her “the most riveting country star of her generation.” Lambert has taken those standards to become a label co-founder, teaming with longtime collaborator Jon Randall to launch their own imprint, Big Loud Texas, in partnership with Big Loud Records. She is also a New York Times bestselling author and the first female restaurateur on Lower Broadway with her Tex-Mex cantina Casa Rosa, while also expanding her creative reach with her Wanda June Home collection as well as Idyllwind, her western clothing, accessories and footwear brand at Boot Barn. Her passion for animals inspired the creation of MuttNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit which has raised over $15 million since inception to promote shelter pet adoption, support rescue organizations nationwide, advance spay & neuter and help shelters recover from natural disaster.

About Amazon Music

Amazon Music is an immersive audio entertainment service that connects fans, artists, and creators through music, podcasts and culture. Amazon Music brings fans closer to what they love, with curated and personalized playlists, artist livestreams, artist merch and Amazon Exclusive podcasts. Prime members get access to over 100 million songs in shuffle mode, All-Access playlists, plus the largest catalog of ad-free top podcasts, included with their membership. Customers can upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited for full, on-demand access to 100 million songs, as well as millions of songs in HD, Ultra HD and Spatial audio and the world’s largest selection of audiobooks from Audible. Anyone can listen to Amazon Music by downloading the free Amazon Music app, or wherever they listen to music, including Alexa-enabled devices. Learn more at amazon.com/music.