“Not the first cover to be a hit and won’t be the last,” Rucker said of the track in an X post on Friday, July 3
Credit: Terry Wyatt/WireImage
NEED TO KNOW
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Darius Rucker fired back at a troll about his 2013 song “Wagon Wheel”
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In an X post shared on Friday, July 3, the Hootie & the Blowfish frontman noted that he wasn’t the first to have a cover of a song become a hit
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“Wagon Wheel” was originally released in 2004 by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, who co-wrote the track
Darius Rucker fired back at a troll for accusing him of taking credit for writing his hit “Wagon Wheel.”
On Thursday, July 2, the Hootie & the Blowfish frontman reshared a video on X of soccer player Weston McKennie singing the 2013 track on the United States men’s national soccer team (USMNT) bus after the U.S. won against Bosnia 2-0 in the World Cup.
“LETS FRIGGIN GO!!!!!!!!!” Rucker, 60, captioned the clip.
LETS FRIGGIN GO!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/MwkCkJj6Kt
— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) July 2, 2026
A troll then replied to the “If I Told You” artist’s post on X, writing, “Don’t act like your fake but came up with this song. Put some respect on Old Crows name.”
Rucker replied to the X user, noting that he never claimed to have written “Wagon Wheel” and that covers have become hits before.
“I never once said I wrote it,” he told the roll. “In fact most nights when I play, I yell.”The Old Crow Medicine Show” Not the first cover to be a hit and won’t be the last.”
Rucker added, “Do u go to Stapletons sight and tell folks Tennessee Whiskey is a cover?”
I never once said I wrote it. In fact most nights when I play, I yell.”The Old Crow Medicine Show” Not the first cover to be a hit and won’t be the last. Do u go to Stapletons sight and tell folks Tennessee Whiskey is a cover? https://t.co/lGPCUnnG79
— Darius Rucker (@dariusrucker) July 3, 2026
The troll then replied on X: “I’ll keep it a buck with you I just really don’t like you I’ll still pray for ya and I used to be a fan of yours till You wanted to run your mouth about Tennessee.” They then added that they are “not a fan of Stapleton’s either.”
“Wagon Wheel,” co-written by Bob Dylan and Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, was originally released in 2004.
Over the years, the song has been covered by Rucker, Nathan Carter and Nathan Evans.
Rucker recorded a version of the track for his 2013 album True Believers, which featured backing vocals from Lady A.
“Wagon Wheel” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
In May 2026, Spotify revealed that “Wagon Wheel” had been streamed a billion times and entered their Billions Club.
In April, Rucker opened up about how he almost refused to record a song after hearing Chris Stapleton’s recorded version of it.
While appearing on Absolute Radio Country, he recalled how intimidating it was for him to record the 2010 hit “Come Back Song” when he was working on his album Charleston, SC 1966.
“Now I want to talk about an iconic country artist who worked with me on my album Charleston, SC 1966. Chris Stapleton. I’ve written a few times with Chris, and he is an amazing songwriter and an amazing singer,” Rucker said of the track, which Stapleton, 48, co-wrote.
Credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty
The “Only Wanna Be with You” performer then explained why he kept hesitating to record it.
“Chris had sung the demo, and it was so great. I didn’t want to sing it, because he had done it so well,” said Rucker.
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