Hootie & the Blowfish

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merican rock band Hootie & the Blowfish formed in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. The band's lineup for most of its existence has been the quartet of Darius Rucker (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Mark Bryan (lead guitar/backing vocals/piano), Dean Felber (bass guitar/backing vocals/piano), and Jim Sonefeld (drums/percussion/backing vocals/rhythm guitar). Brantley Smith was formerly on drums (1986-1989). The band went on hiatus in 2008 until they announced plans for a full reunion tour in 2019 and released their first new studio album in fourteen years. The formation of the band dates back to Rucker and Bryan met in Columbia, South Carolina, in the mid-1980s when they were both freshmen at the University of South Carolina.

As of time of writing, Hootie & the Blowfish earned two Grammy Awards, landed 16 singles on various Billboard singles charts, and released six studio albums. The band's debut album, Cracked Rear View (1994), became one of the best-selling albums in the United States and was certified platinum 22 times. The band is known for its three Top 10 singles: Hold My Hand (1994), Let Her Cry (1994), and Only Wanna Be with You (1995). The band is also popular in Canada, having three number-one singles in that country. The act's discography would also boast Fairweather Johnson (1996), Musical Chairs (1998), Hootie & the Blowfish (2003), Looking for Lucky (2005), and most recently Imperfect Circle (2019).