entertainment

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, our state’s outdoor recreation economy generates over 72,000 direct jobs, which translates to almost $3 billion in wages and salaries, and contributes close to $6 billion to our state’s annual GDP. And these stats gave the idea to our next guest to start a new festival to showcase South Carolina’s most popular outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, fishing, cycling, paddling, and boating. Mike Switzer interviews Jacqui McGuinness, creator and director of the Everything Outdoor Fest taking place Nov. 4-6 at Historic Hopkins Farm in Simpsonville.

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, our state’s outdoor recreation economy generates over 72,000 direct jobs, which translates to almost $3 billion in wages and salaries, and contributes close to $6 billion to our state’s annual GDP. And these stats gave the idea to our next guest to start a new festival to showcase South Carolina’s most popular outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, fishing, cycling, paddling, and boating. Mike Switzer interviews Jacqui McGuinness, creator and director of the Everything Outdoor Fest taking place Nov. 4-6 at Historic Hopkins Farm in Simpsonville.

In 1985, Mark Bryan heard Darius Rucker singing in a dorm shower at the University of South Carolina and asked him to form a band. For the next eight years, Hootie & the Blowfish—completed by bassist Dean Felber and drummer Soni Sonefeld—played every frat house, roadhouse, and rock club in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, becoming one of the biggest independent acts in the region.In Only Wanna Be with You (2022, USC Press), Tim Sommer, the ultimate insider who signed Hootie to Atlantic Records, pulls back the curtain on a band that defied record-industry odds to break into the mainstream by playing hacky sack music in the age of grunge.He chronicles the band's indie days; the chart-topping success—and near-cancelation—of their major-label debut, cracked rear view; the year of Hootie (1995) when the album reached no. 1, the "Only Wanna Be with You" music video collaboration with ESPN's SportsCenter became a sensation, and the band inspired a plotline on the TV show Friends; the lean years from the late 1990s through the early 2000s; Darius Rucker's history-making rise in country music; and one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the century.Tim Sommer shares the Hootie story with Walter Edgar.News and Music Stations: Fri, Jun 17, 12 pm; Sat, Jun 18, 7 amNews & Talk Stations: Fri, Jun 17, 12 pm; Sun, Jun 19, 4 pm

In 1985, Mark Bryan heard Darius Rucker singing in a dorm shower at the University of South Carolina and asked him to form a band. For the next eight years, Hootie & the Blowfish—completed by bassist Dean Felber and drummer Soni Sonefeld—played every frat house, roadhouse, and rock club in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, becoming one of the biggest independent acts in the region.In Only Wanna Be with You (2022, USC Press), Tim Sommer, the ultimate insider who signed Hootie to Atlantic Records, pulls back the curtain on a band that defied record-industry odds to break into the mainstream by playing hacky sack music in the age of grunge.He chronicles the band's indie days; the chart-topping success—and near-cancelation—of their major-label debut, cracked rear view; the year of Hootie (1995) when the album reached no. 1, the "Only Wanna Be with You" music video collaboration with ESPN's SportsCenter became a sensation, and the band inspired a plotline on the TV show Friends; the lean years from the late 1990s through the early 2000s; Darius Rucker's history-making rise in country music; and one of the most remarkable comeback stories of the century.Tim Sommer shares the Hootie story with Walter Edgar.

“K” is for Kitt, Eartha (1927-2008). Actress, singer.

“K” is for Kitt, Eartha (1927-2008). Actress, singer.

Mike Switzer interviews FatRat Da Czar, co-founder and manager of The Boom Room Recording Studio in Columbia, SC.

Mike Switzer interviews FatRat Da Czar, co-founder and manager of The Boom Room Recording Studio in Columbia, SC.

Mike Switzer interviews Charles Bach, owner of Charles Bach Wonders Theatre in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Mike Switzer interviews Charles Bach, owner of Charles Bach Wonders Theatre in Myrtle Beach, SC.