With the rich, bluesy vocals of Darius Rucker and gleeful harmonies of guitarist Mark Bryan, bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, Hootie & the Blowfish sold over 25 million records worldwide after their infectious melodies hit the airwaves in 1994 with hits such as “Hold My Hand”, “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You.”
Their debut album Cracked Rear View, moved over 22 million copies (and counting) in the U. S. alone.
Cracked Rear View and the band won two Grammy’s – Best New Artist and Song of the Year by duo or group for “Let Her Cry.” They also took home an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist for “Hold My Hand,” a Billboard Music Award for album of the year, a People’s Choice Award for Album of the Year and a People’s Choice Award for Best Selling Artist, a feat they duplicated in 1996.
Jim “Soni” Sonefeld has had a prolific career spanning from touring musician in one of the top-selling rock bands of all time, to award-winning songwriter, to solo artist. As Sonefeld gears up to release his fourth faith-inspired EP, Remember Tomorrow, he added the title of author to his list of achievements. His memoir, “Swimming With The Blowfish – Hootie, Healing, and One Hell of a Ride,” published by Diversion Books, released in late June of 2022.
The first single, “Hold My Hand,” a tune Sonefeld brought to the band early on, helped thrust Hootie & the Blowfish into its great success, and likewise showcases his songwriting ability. In the years to follow, the band would record six more studio albums and receive numerous awards, among them, two GRAMMYS®.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Hootie and the Blowfish tour dates: https://hootie.com
Soni's tour dates: https://jimsonefeld.com
Soni's solo music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0KNodVzuH2zoT1tglc3C9k
Listen to "Hold My Hand" here: https://open.spotify.com/track/4WnYuVFXe6Si4fZqkxbnvS
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