Darius Rucker is back on top of the country chart with his latest hit, “Wagon Wheel,” and he’s just released his third country album, True Believers, which appears destined to be another big seller.  Though Darius has established himself as one of country’s top stars, he still has to deal with some small-minded people as the only black man in the format.

Things got especially heated earlier this week when a Twitter user told Darius to “Leave country to the white folk.”  Darius shot back, “WOW. Is this 2013 or 1913.”  He then added, ” I’ll take my grand ole Opry membership and leave your racism.”

Darius tells Rolling Stone that tweet was shocking to him.  He says, “Sometimes people will say, ‘You’re not country,’ and I know what that means, because they can’t be talking about the music.  But when somebody says to leave country music to the white folks, that is unbelievable to me…But that’s life.”

Darius knows he’ll have to deal with that kind of ignorance in some shape or fashion for the rest of his life.

He says, “I’m a black guy in country music, and there are people who don’t like that.  But it’s not going to make me quit.”

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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