Hootie & the Blowfish

Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish
	The band in 1998, pictured left to right: Sonefeld (behind drum kit), Felber, Rucker, and Bryan.
Background information
Origin	Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock; alternative rock; soft rock; roots rock; heartland rock; jangle pop;
Discography	Hootie & the Blowfish discography
Years active	1986–2008; 2009; 2015; 2018–present;
Labels	Atlantic; Sneaky Long; Vanguard; UMG Nashville;
Members	Darius Rucker; Mark Bryan; Dean Felber; Jim Sonefeld;
Past members	Brantley Smith;
Website	hootie.com

Hootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band formed in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. The band's lineup for most of its existence has been the quartet of Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. The band went on hiatus in 2008 until they announced plans for a full reunion tour in 2019 and released their first new studio album in fourteen years, Imperfect Circle.

As of 2025, Hootie & the Blowfish have won two Grammy Awards, landed 16 singles on various Billboard singles charts, and released six studio albums. The band's debut album, Cracked Rear View (1994), became one of the best-selling albums in the United States and was certified platinum 22 times. The band is known for its three Top 10 singles: "Hold My Hand" (1994), "Let Her Cry" (1994), and "Only Wanna Be with You" (1995). The band is also popular in Canada, having three number-one singles in that country.