Darius Rucker Says His February Arrest “Sucks” (Exclusive)

Darius Rucker may have been arrested earlier this year, but he's no outlaw.

The Grammy-winning singer found himself in a strange sort of legal limbo last winter: Although he was arrested in February 2023 and released without charges, he learned months later that a warrant for The judgment had been issued against him.

“It was so awesome,” Rucker, 58, recalls to PEOPLE. “I mean, I thought about it and I was like, 'I got pulled over by a cop and I had some weed, and I think some mushrooms or something in the car, and he let me go.' And a year later, I got a phone call from a friend who said, “I think I just saw a warrant for your arrest. That shocked me.”

The “Wagon Wheel” singer, whose memoir Life is too short is out now, says he still doesn't know exactly what prompted the arrest warrant, but is handling the issue with the help of his legal team.

“My friends who worked in law enforcement were like, 'Have you upset anyone here?' Because it’s crazy that they’re doing this a year later,” he says. “But I think someone wanted to make an example of me, and they did. And I'll handle it with my lawyers, I'll pay the price, and we'll move on with our lives.

Rucker was arrested in February 2024 for two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance and one count of violation of the Tennessee vehicle registration law, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office tells PEOPLE . He was taken into custody and released on $10,500 bail.

TMZ reported at the time that he was arrested for expired tags in February 2023 and that authorities found marijuana and psilocin in his car. Although he was released without charge, a warrant for his arrest was issued in December 2023 and he reportedly turned himself in in February.

“It sucks,” he says now. “Fifty-seven years old, never seen in a police car or in jail, and I get arrested for it.”

Recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states, but not Tennessee.

For now, Rucker is focused on releasing his new memoir, which covers every aspect of the musician's life, from his humble beginnings in South Carolina to the height of his Hootie & the Blowfish fame. It also covers his past issues with substance abuse during the heyday of Hootie and the ultimatum his ex-wife Beth gave him that helped him quit hard drugs and which he now credits with saving his life .

“I hope my trip pleasantly surprises people and makes them say 'Wow,'” he says. “Not many people know me much. They know my music and what I do, but they don't know how you got there.