Darius Rucker

Darius Rucker on Singing the National Anthem: 'I Still Get Very Nervous'

Darius Rucker surprised the music industry when he left the Grammy-winning group, Hootie and the Blowfish, to launch a career as a country artist. And it was a risk worth taking. The 44-year-old singer was named New Artist of the Year by the Country Music Association in 2009 and has two No. 1 albums and five top five singles under his belt. 

Now, the Charleston native is gearing up for one of his most nerve-wracking performances yet: singing the national anthem during tonight's Allstate Sugar Bowl. 

The diehard football fan also teamed up with the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for a community volunteer project in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward on Monday. The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team is a national college award honoring players who stand out for their community involvement and volunteer efforts. 

Singer Darius Rucker has been married for 10 years to Beth Rucker, and he has some advice on reaching that milestone.

"I work hard to let my wife know how much I love her," he tells TheBoot.com. "I try to do that every day. . . . I just want her to be happy. She's a strong woman. It's hard to be married to me, and it was a lot harder when I was younger. Here we are, 10 years later, madly in love. It's a good place to be."

Rucker, who has a successful solo career in addition to his work as the front man for Hootie & the Blowfish, acknowledges that maintaining a successful union is tough.

"Marriage is not easy," he says. "You have to decide to work. That's what it really comes down to: two people deciding to stay together or not."

Pretentious Piers

New CNN talking head Piers Morgan is causing a stir on Twitter. More specifically, according to Gawker.com, the Brit with the big ego will get into a Twitter battle with almost anyone who tweets something negative to him.

It started when NY1 cable newsman John Schiumo called Morgan a name synonymous for a donkey.

"Sorry Mr. Schiumo, but a) I've never heard of you, and b) I don't view local news anchors with just 700 followers as rivals," Morgan tweeted.

More tweets followed, with Morgan quoting Shakespeare and bragging about beating Stephen Baldwin on "Celebrity Apprentice." Other folks jumped in to attack Morgan, which led him to put an end to the Twitter wars.

"It would appear that you all want me to pick pointless Twitter scraps with nonentities," Morgan wrote. "So normal service resumed. Relax."