Darius Rucker Reveals Ed Sheeran Helped Him Write a Song for an Ex He Hasn't Seen in 40 Years (Exclusive)

Darius Ruckerhasn’t seen his fifth-grade girlfriend Sara since, well, fifth grade. But that didn’t stop the childhood romance from inspiring a song on his new album — and it’s all thanks to an unlikely source:Ed Sheeran. The pop superstar, 32, has a writing credit on Rucker’snew albumCarolyn’s Boy(out Friday), and the country star tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue that he and Sheeran actually go back years, having first met when the Brit opened forTaylor Swifton tour.

Darius Rucker Says Divorce 'Hurts' but He and Ex Beth Are 'Still a Family': 'She's a Great Human Being' (Exclusive)

Darius Rucker and Beth Leonard Rucker in Nashville in November 2017.Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic WhenDarius Ruckerand his wife Bethsplit in 2020 after 20 yearsof marriage, he turned to songwriting to help process his feelings. “You try to express those feelings, and it’s hard to say and it’s hard to put that on paper,” Rucker, 57, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “You try to do it as real as you can. I’m not a big talk-to-you guy, but I can sit down and write a song about it.

Darius Rucker Says He and Hootie Bandmates Still 'Talk All the Time' and Will 'Probably' Make Another Record (Exclusive)

Darius Rucker.Photo:Jim Wright Jim Wright There’s a storyDarius Ruckerand hisHootie & the Blowfishbandmates tell over and over and again each time they hang out. The group was set to see the Ramones play a show, but after a day of drinking, Rucker was passed out, and had every intention of staying that way. Enter guitarist Mark Bryan. “I just remember Mark beating me silly to make me wake up and saying, ‘You’re going to the Ramones,’” Rucker recalls in this week’s issue of PEOPLE.

Darius Rucker Shares His Father's Day Plans — and Jokes About Being 'Scared' to Be an Empty Nester (Exclusive)

Darius Rucker.Photo:Jason Kempin/Getty Jason Kempin/Getty Darius Ruckeris going straight from the road to the links for a very good reason: He’s got a Father’s Day golf game to play with his son.The country star exclusively tells PEOPLE he’ll be returning home to South Carolina to spend the day with his youngest, the day after playing theBarefoot City Music Festin New Jersey on his summer tour.“I got a show on Saturday, then I’ll fly home right after to go hang out with my son,” the father of three says.

Darius Rucker Talks Transitioning from Pop Music to Country: 'I Was Going to Give It All I Had'

Darius Ruckeris looking back on his start in the country music genre. In PEOPLE’s exclusive clip from the May 22 premiere episode ofClint Black’s upcoming series,Talking in Circles, Rucker sits down with the fellow country star to discuss how he transitioned to country music when he signed to Capitol Records Nashville in 2008. “We were in a meeting, the very first meeting about the record when i was finishing it up.