Darius Rucker Readies ‘Life’s Too Short’ Memoir
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Darius Rucker has turned the soundtrack of his life into a book. The country musician has announced his first memoir, Life’s Too Short, set for release on May 28, structured around 23 songs that have been transformative during his career.
“This book is the story of my life as told through 23 songs that took me away, soaring, starting at ground level, living in a poor but happy home, never wanting for much more, enjoying what I had, even when times got tough, because I had my escape, my refuge, my music,” Rucker said in a statement.
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A creative figure as both a solo artist and as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker thinks in music. “If I look back at my life and try to see into my past, everything seems blurry,” he said. “But then I lean in and start to hear something. Melodies. Chords. Harmonies. Lyrics.”
His playlist of pivotal songs include releases from Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, R.E.M., Kiss, Prince, and more. Other artists who appear in the memoir — from David Crosby and Al Green to Adele and Taylor Swift — appear by way of Rucker’s memories of sharing the stage with them. It’s how Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young worked their way into its pages, too.
“I loved revisiting these memories through the lens of music,” Rucker added. But those memories weren’t all gold and shining. According to a statement from publisher Dey Street Books (an imprint of William Morrow), the book will also explore “stumbles, missteps and battles with demons.” Life’s Too Short has been described as “candid, entertaining and moving … a classic story of a man and his music.”
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