‘Thank You for Showing Me a Level of Happiness I Have Never Known’

Darius Rucker is engaged! The singer-songwriter revealed on Wednesday morning (Oct. 8) that he popped the question to his girlfriend, Emily Deahl.

Rucker shared two photos on Instagram: one of Rucker down on one knee proposing to Deahl, and another of the happy couple showing off her large engagement ring.

More from Billboard

“Thank you for showing me a level of happiness I have never known,” Rucker captioned the post. “The day I met you I knew I didn’t want to go another one without you. Now I don’t have to.”

According to Deahl’s YouTube page, she’s a singer, songwriter and content creator who has released singles including “22,” “EMILY” and “Tarantino.”

Deahl also shared the engagement pics on her Instagram Stories. “I never intended on keeping this part of my life from you guys for so long, but somewhere along the way of loving him I discovered how sacred love is to me,” she wrote. “And all I wanted to do was protect it. But damn I’m glad I don’t have to spend the time photoshopping him out of every photo now.”

Rucker was previously wed to Beth Leonard; they announced their breakup in 2020 after two decades of marriage.

Musically, things are also shining for Rucker. He recently saw Hootie & The Blowfish’s collaboration with Scotty McCreery, “Bottle Rockets,” soar to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. The track, which also reworks the group’s ’90s hit “Hold My Hand” marks the first country No. 1 for the group.

Rucker also teamed with R.E.M. bassist-vocalist Mike Mills and The Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman to form the new trio Howl Owl Howl, who will be touring later this fall.

Billboard VIP Pass

Best of Billboard

Sign up for Billboard’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.