Darius Rucker Rocks the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival with ‘Wagon Wheel’

Country superstar Darius Rucker rocked the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival with a performance of the fan-favorite hit, “Wagon Wheel.” The…

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

October 2, 2021

8:15 pm

Darius Rucker; Photo Courtesy iHeartRadio

Country superstar Darius Rucker rocked the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival with a performance of the fan-favorite hit, “Wagon Wheel.”

The performance aired during night one of the television special, which brought the star-studded event to life on The CW.

After being introduced by Jana Kramer and Russell Dickerson, Rucker took to the T-Mobile Arena stage and immediately had the crowd singing along to the beloved country hit.

ROCK ME MAMA LIKE A WAGON WHEEL. @dariusrucker #iHeartOnCW pic.twitter.com/nixbu1oxSD

— Bobby Bones Show (@bobbybonesshow) October 3, 2021

Rucker released the track, featuring background vocals from Lady A, in 2013. It went on to become one of his biggest hits.

Co-written by Bob Dylan and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, “Wagon Wheel” was originally released by Old Crow Medicine Show and was also a commercial success for the group as it went on to become certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, iHeartRadio Music Festival also featured performances by Billie Eilish, Cheap Trick, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, FINNEAS, J. Cole, Journey, Khalid, Lil Baby, Nelly, Sam Hunt and Weezer, with special guests Florida Georgia Line, Walker Hayes and more.

The event took place on the main stage at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the evenings of September 17 and September 18.

The Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival was at AREA15 and featured performances by Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid Laroi, Saweetie, All Time Low, 24KGoldn, Russell Dickerson, Yungblud, Gabby Barrett, Tate McRae, and Conan Gray.

In addition to the star-studded list of performance, the two-night event also featured celebrity appearances from 98 Degrees, Debbie Gibson, Teddi Mellencamp, Derek Hough, Chrissy Metz, Olivia Jade, Maddie and Kenzie Ziegler, Joey McIntyre, Donny Osmond, Jana Kramer, Tayshia Adams, Asher Angel, AREA21, CL, Olivia Holt, MAX and more, plus host Ryan Seacrest and iHeartRadio’s presenters Elvis Duran, Bobby Bones, Woody, Mario Lopez, Big Boy, DJ Envy, and more.

Night two of the annual event airs on Sunday, October 3 at 8/7c.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.