Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker has confirmed he will continue with his current run of tour dates after recently cancelling one of his shows mid-set.
Rucker, who launched his recent tour on July 10, performed in Atlantic City, NJ on Saturday (July 12), though was forced to cut the concert short after losing his voice. “Y’all I can’t sing anymore,” the musician told the crowd. “I will play one more song. I promise you we’re going to figure this out. This never happened. I physically can’t sing… I will make this up to you.”
True to his word, Rucker concluded his set with his version of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” though required audience assistance to finish the track.
Taking to his Instagram Stories after the incident, Rucker thanked fans and apologized for cutting the show short. However, he noted he would be unable to reschedule the show as initially promised onstage.
“I feel awful and I’m so sorry — I have never lost my voice in all my years of performing,” he wrote. “We looked at every option to reschedule, but unfortunately, it’s just not possible this year, so we’re issuing full refunds.”
Though doubt was cast on Rucker’s upcoming tour dates, a representative for the musician has since confirmed he will return to the road on Saturday (July 19) with a performance in Hollywood, FL.
“There is no further interruption in his touring schedule,” Rucker’s publicist said in a statement given to USA Today. “Following vocal rest, Darius has been cleared to resume shows.”
Rucker’s current tour will continue in the US throughout August and September, before shows in the UK and Canada across September and October. The run of dates will wrap with a final date in Naples, FL in mid-December.
The musician’s mid-set antics also made headlines last year when he slipped and fell during a performance in Charleston, SC in October.
“Don’t need no five-star reservations/ I got spaghetti and a cheap bottle of wine/ Don’t need no concert in the city,” he sang from his 2008 single “Alright” directly before falling, after which he quipped to the supportive audience: “I’m old as f—.”
