Country Music star Darius Rucker appeared in Tennessee court on Tuesday in connection with his drug charges.
Rucker, renowned as the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish, was arrested on February 1, after being found with psychedelic drugs during a traffic stop in Franklin, roughly thirty minutes from Nashville.
Rucker appeared in court before Judge Denise Andre, according to Nashville's WSMV.
The veteran musician appeared in court for a docket call, dressed in a suit and glasses. His attorney stated that Rucker has been fully cooperating with law enforcement since his arrest.
A Franklin Police Department officer reported stopping Rucker for a traffic violation on February 23, 2023. The officer noted a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the singer's pickup truck.
Police reported that Rucker admitted to having "smoked weed in the vehicle," though not on that particular night. Officers discovered 14 unstamped, grayish-purple pills, a THC pen, and marijuana in his car.
Rucker informed the police that his girlfriend had given him the items and he was unaware of the nature of the pills. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the pills tested positive for psilocybin, a psychedelic and controlled substance.
Darius Rucker is Expected Back in Court in the Fall
Rucker is facing charges of simple possession, casual exchange, and registration law violations. All of the charges are misdemeanors.
He was released from the county jail on a $10,500 bond, with his court date rescheduled to September 10.
Meanwhile, Rucker recently detailed how a Hollywood A-lister once saved his bacon. It turns out, Woody Harrelson rescued the singer some years back.
"At Woody's, if you want to go swimming, you don't simply slip on your trunks and dive into the pool. Way more complicated than that. We begin our swim by climbing down a jagged cliff — very slowly and carefully, inch by inch," Rucker recalled in his memoir, Life's Too Short. He stayed for two weeks with the Cheers legend in Hawaii.
Rucker, Harrelson, and their friend Kirk climbed down a jagged cliff to a small beach and decided to go swimming. Despite Rucker's confidence in his swimming ability, he lost sight of his friends and the land, and a rip current pulled him under.
"The current is ferocious. I feel as if some horrific giant squid has lashed itself around my body. Circling and tightening its tentacles around my legs, dragging me under the water. I gulp and I gasp and I keep fighting," Rucker penned. "I fight and flail for I have no idea how long — ten minutes, fifteen — and then I hear a voice. Woody. I can't see him, but I hear him. He's not far."
Harrelson rescued Rucker from the water, and they drifted in the ocean. Rucker, feeling near death, experienced visions and a blinding light. He uttered, "This is it," believing he was dying. Harrelson and Kirk ultimately pulled Rucker from the water, saving his life.
"Truth is, everybody wants to be friends with Woody," Rucker added. "He's kind, generous, fun, and mellow."
