Country star Darius Rucker pulls gig mid-set: ‘I just can’t sing’

Darius Rucker said he could no longer sing as he cut his set short and offered refunds to fans.

Darius Rucker was recently forced to cut his set short, telling the crowd, “I just can’t sing”.

The 59-year-old country star was performing at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on July 12, when he told fans he physically couldn’t perform any longer.

The musician – who shot to fame as the frontman of Hootie and the Blowfish – was left devastated after being forced to abandon his gig mid-set, and vowed to make it up to his fans and offer them a refund.

He said onstage in a viral clip on TikTok: “I’m going to play one more song. I promise you, we are going to figure this out. You’re going to get your money back. I just can’t sing.

“This [has] never happened. I physically can’t sing, and I promise you on everything that I stand for I will make this up to you.

The audience then helped him by singing the lyrics to Wagon Wheel.

Apologising to the crowd, he said: “I’m so sorry.”

Darius only managed to fully perform three songs (Life’s Too Short, It Won’t Be Like This for Long and For the First Time) – the fourth being Wagon Wheel, for which head the crowd’s assistance.

He has not yet addressed why he could no longer sing.

Darius is next due onstage on Saturday (19.07.25) in Florida.

Last year, Darius shocked fans when he took a tumble onstage at his Riverfront Revival concert in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.

He was performing his solo hit Alright when he appeared to trip before being helped back up by venue staff.

He quipped to the crowd: “I’m old as f***.”

Laughing it off, Darius later said: “We’ve been doing this all summer. I hadn’t [fallen] once. But I busted my a** in my hometown.”

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