Despite leading Hootie & the Blowfish for 22 years, Darius Rucker was not sure he’d be able to find a label for his solo country album when he began looking in 2007.

Now, almost five years later, Rucker has released two country records and is a familiar name on country charts, reaching the No. 1 spot five times with songs such as “This” and “It Won’t Be Like This For Long.”

Rucker will open Feb. 4's concert featuring country trio Lady Antebellum and Thompson Square at the Bryce Jordan Center and will promote his upcoming third country album. Rucker recently spoke with Newsday.

Q: What are the differences between playing solo and playing with Hootie and the Blowfish?

A: I don’t feel like I’m doing anything that different right now than I was with Hootie and the Blowfish. We were about as close to a country band as you can be without saying you’re one or being called one, so when I started to do this, I really wasn’t trying to do anything different, I was just being me, doing what I had always done.

Q: When was the first time you remember hearing country music?

A: It goes all the way back to listening to the AM radio when I was 5 and 6, flipping through the channels and hearing Buck Owens come onto the radio like nobody else, just sounding so differently and so bright.

I’ve always been a fan. I’ve never let somebody say, “You can’t listen to this because you’re black.” I always listen to whatever I want.

Q: There obviously aren’t a lot of major black country artists. Do you feel like you’re a torchbearer at all?

A: I don’t know if I’m a torchbearer. When I was making the record, we didn’t expect a whole bunch of success. ... I’m not gonna change the industry.

Darius Rucker and Thompson Square will open a concert for Lady Antebellum at 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at Bryce Jordan Center, University Park. Visit www.bjc.psu.edu or call 865-5555 for more information.