Your Three Words: Darius Rucker

Feb. 19, 2011 — -- Darius Rucker's new song, "She's Beautiful," provides the soundtrack for this week's "Your Three Words."

Born and raised in South Carolina, Darius Rucker has had a career over the last quarter of a century that has covered a wide range of musical genres.

He is perhaps best known as the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish. The band was named best new artist at the 1996 Grammys, and released several hugely popular albums. The first, "Cracked Rear View," sold more than 16 million copies.

Hootie & the Blowfish split in 2008, and Rucker struck out on his own as a solo artist. He took his music into the country genre, rare territory for an African-American artist.

In 2008, he released his first solo country album, "Learn to Live." And Nashville has welcomed Rucker with open arms. The album was well-received by critics and reached No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts. It spawned two No. 1 singles, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" and "It Won't Be Like This for Long."

In 2009, the Country Music Association named him best new artist, making him the first African-American to win the award.

In October 2010, Rucker followed with the release of his second country album, "Charleston, S.C. 1966," which also scored a No. 1 hit on the country charts.

A longtime friend of the "Good Morning America" family, Rucker recently appeared on the program to perform music from the album.

He told "GMA's" George Stephanopoulos that all of his hits came from "getting what you want out of the song, not trying to write a hit or anything. You're just writing a song that at the end of it, you're happy about it."

While in the studio, Rucker even contributed a "Your Three Words" segment of his very own set to the song, "Love Will Do That." (You can watch it HERE.)