Darius Rucker Quotes

Playing the Opry, when I get the opportunity - it's one of the coolest honors for any musician in any genre, but especially for a country musician.

Playing at the Opry, for me, it has such a history. It feels sort of like a coming-out party as a country artist. To know your heroes have played here is kind of crazy.

You think about people like Hank Williams, who stood on that spot of wood, and Mr. Acuff, and, of course, George Jones. And just about anybody you can think of who has made country music has been on that stage. That's what makes you so nervous - to think about the historical part of the Opry and how it's played such a part in country music.

But it was great, we sit in the same dressing room where, like, Johnny Cash sat and Willie Nelson and all those guys. That was in itself something amazing - I was on the same space these guys stood on, ya know?

Standing center stage in the six foot circle of wood cut from the stage of the Ryman is something I never take for granted. The history and legacy of that circle is awe-inspiring.

I grew up listening to my mother's collection of Hank Williams, George Jones and Marty Robbins records.

Well, it's hard not to love Hank Williams!

Everything about Hank Williams interests me. His music, his life. His death. His impact.

Walking into the Ryman with Lester Flatt was the equivalent of walking into the Vatican with the pope.

Growing up, I always considered the Grand Ole Opry to be hallowed ground.

I'm no expert in what country artists go through or how country audiences would react, but I'll say that the work I did to put myself in Will Lexington's shoes absolutely led me to believe that it would ruin his career. Meanwhile, I was getting lots of supportive messages saying, "Will Lexington should just come out! It's 2015 already, audiences are going to embrace it!"

.. the Grand Ole Opry used to come on, and I used to watch that. They used to have some pretty heavy cats, heavy guitar players

Country music artists are staying true to their roots, keeping it country but throwing a little bit of rock flair in there which I think is a good thing.

I believe if you ask any singer who was the greatest country music singer of all time, they would say 'George Jones'. He was without question and by far the BEST! I first met and worked with him when I was 13 years old; I am so very grateful that he was my friend.

To me, Hank Williams is the first rock-and-roll star.

I listened to a lot of what my grandparents listened to: George Jones, Johnny Cash - a lot of old country singers. Patsy Cline.

By the age of 15, I knew over 40 Hank Williams songs.

Favorite country singer of all time... Hank Williams... Well, then there's Willie Nelson. Can I have three? I can't do one. Then if I have three, I'll need five. Hank Williams for sure. Willie Nelson. Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

I love Loretta Lynn, and I love Roy Clark and Johnny Cash, everybody.

I want to play the Grand Ole Opry for sure. And I want to meet and play with people like Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill.

I love Mac Miller. I'm a big Drake fan. I love Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley.

At 82, Nelson (who wrote the song "On the Road Again," among a thousand or more others) is the elder statesman of country music, a steadying and powerful voice in the industry and on environmental issues, and he's still on the road much of the year. The music keeps calling.

Country music fans are extremely passionate and loyal. It seems that country artists have longer-lasting careers because the fans stick with the artists through thick and thin.

I hear some new artists that sound country but the record labels and country radio lean more toward a more rock feel for what gets signed to a label and played on the radio.

Country music is full of affairs and cheating; that's where all those Hank Williams songs come from.