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Backstage Country

Darius Rucker: The Song He Wrote With Ed Sheeran

Darius Rucker’s new album Carolyn’s Boy features a song by Rucker and Ed Sheeran. Darius told us that the song “Sara” is about someone he knew long ago. Rucker explained,…

Darius Rucker kneeling in a white button down shirt and Ed Sheeran in a white t-shirt
Terry Wyatt, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Darius Rucker's new album Carolyn's Boy features a song by Rucker and Ed Sheeran. Darius told us that the song "Sara" is about someone he knew long ago.

Rucker explained, "Ed and I met when he came over with Taylor (Swift) the first time like fourteen years ago, and we talked about writing for a while. We just talked about it, and then finally, one day, I just said, 'Forget it, I'm just gonna come to England and write with you.'"

Darius continued, "We went there and were writing, and he asked me on the first song for the first love I had, and I told him it was my fifth-grade girlfriend, Sara. Then he asked me a lot more stuff about it, and we sat down at the end of the day to write the song."

Rucker noted, "That song for me is so special. It was his idea, and the best part of it is that there's so many love songs and there's so many breakup songs, but there is not that many friendship songs. That song I just love. It says I don't want to be anything but your friend. I want to see my friend I haven't seen in a long time. And I know she doesn't know about it (the song) at all. I haven't talked to her in fifty years or something."

We talked with Rucker a few weeks back, and he told us about his new album, named for his late mother.

He discussed his mother, a nurse, who died in 1992. "She was my biggest supporter. She was always in my corner, you know, back when I was a real young kid trying to get in the rock and roll and country and being told that wasn't the music I was supposed to be listening to; she was my biggest supporter; 'Let him listen to what he wants to listen to.' I remember when I told her I was dropping out of college to play in Hootie, and I thought she was going to kill me. I really thought she was going to kill me. And she didn't. She said, 'If that's what you need to do…' She always believed that I was going to make it probably a lot more than I did."

Country music stars are like all of us really, and on certain days, or in their case, certain shows, they wear concert t-shirts of their favorite artists.

We look at what country stars are wearing other artists on their t-shirts.

Brothers Osborne Wears Tim McGraw

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TWIN LAKES, WI - JULY 20: John Osborne and TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne perform during Country Thunder - Day 2 on July 20, 2018 in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Thunder)


Thomas Rhett Wears Grateful Dead

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 25: Thomas Rhett performs during Jason Aldean's 8th annual Susan G. Komen Concert for the Cure at New Orleans Arena on October 25, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)


Darius Rucker Wears Rolling Stones

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 09: (L-R) Darius Rucker and Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band perform during day 1 of CMA Fest 2022 at Nissan Stadium on June 09, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)


Kenny Chesney Wears ZZ Top

GettyImages-2289854-2.jpgScott Gries/Getty Images

Kenny Chesney performs during the first ever CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennesee. 6/12/02 Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images


Dierks Bentley Wears Gram Parsons

GettyImages-129427773-2.jpgRick Diamond/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 16: Recording Artist Dierks Bentley and his little friend during Dierks Bentley's 6th annual Miles & Music for Kids at Riverfront Park on October 16, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)


FGL's Brian Kelley Wears Willie Nelson

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CULLMAN, AL - JUNE 04: Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line perform during Pepsi's Rock The South Festival - Day 2 at Heritage Park on June 4, 2016 in Cullman, Alabama. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Pepsi's Rock The South )


Luke Combs Wears Hank Williams Jr.

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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 15: Luke Combs attends virtual radio row during the 55th Academy of Country Music Awards at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center on September 15, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for ACM)


Brad Paisley Wears Rolling Stone While Playing With Them

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NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 17: Brad Paisley joins Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones during The Rolling Stones North American "ZIP CODE" Tour - Nashville at LP Field on June 17, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images,)


Carrie Underwood Wears Guns N' Roses

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INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 30: Carrie Underwood performs onstage during Day 2 of the 2022 Stagecoach Festival at the Empire Polo Field on April 30, 2022 in Indio, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Stagecoach)


Jason Aldean Wears Dolly Parton

GettyImages-1402052095-2.jpgJason Kempin/Getty Images

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JUNE 09: Jason Aldean performs during day 1 of CMA Fest 2022 at Nissan Stadium on June 09, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)


Keith Urban Wears Brooks & Dunn

GettyImages-98561494-2.jpgEthan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS - APRIL 19: Musician Keith Urban performs onstage during Brooks & Dunn's The Last Rodeo Show at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 19, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)


Morgan Wallen Wears Guns N' Roses

GettyImages-662726060-2.jpgMatt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 31: Singer Morgan Wallen performs onstage at the ACM After Party For A Cause: Virgil's Real BBQ on March 31, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for ACM)


Jason Aldean Wears Aerosmith

GettyImages-830603644-2.jpgRick Diamond/Getty Images

MACON, GA - AUGUST 11: Singer/Songwriter Jason Aldean performs during Jason Aldean's 2nd Annual Concert For The Kids, Benefiting Children's Hospital Navicent Health of Bibb County, Raising over 700 thousand dollars at Macon Centreplex on August 11, 2017 in Macon, Georgia. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.