Darius Rucker recorded a country version of the song as the second single on his third solo project , '' True Believers , '' released on Capitol Records . He joined Old Crow Medicine Show at the Grand Ole Opry July 6 , 2012 , " for a special rendition of ' Wagon Wheel ' " where the fans " went crazy over Rucker 's cover of the Old Crow Medicine Show hit . " After this reception he tweeted out : " Secret out after @opry perf . I recorded a version of ' Wagon Wheel ' for my new record and @ladyantebellum sings on track . " The song did not at first appeal to Rucker . " Somebody had played ' Wagon Wheel ' for me years ago , " he said . " It was one of those things that I did n't really get . " The faculty band at his daughter 's high school performing had a different effect , as he relates , With guidance from Frank Liddell , Rucker cut the song with Lady Antebellum on backing vocals . He told Taste of Country : " Lady Antebellum took the song to a new level . Up until they added their vocals , I thought it was another song on the record . " Rucker had been introduced to Fuqua 's source for Dylan 's outtake years prior : " I got turned onto the Pat Garrett soundtrack when I worked retail back in the day . It 's so different from a lot of his other stuff . It 's such a cool record . " Rucker also previously had had some experience with crediting Dylan on a song he 'd performed . His group Hootie and the Blowfish 's 1995 hit single " Only Wan na Be With You " quotes an entire verse from Dylan 's 1975 song " Idiot Wind " . When the record began selling big , the " Dylan camp " took issue , and Dylan was ultimately credited as a co-writer . As Rucker remembers , " They wanted some money , and they got it . We were n't trying to rip anybody off . " For Rucker it was largely an issue of musical genre and the high school group changing his thinking on it : " I knew the song , and to me it was such a perfect bluegrass tune that I did n't think I could do it . But they did a country version of it , with drums and pedal steel . I was like , ' Wait a minute . That would be a great country song . ' " On deciding to go country with it , Rucker says : When asked if he thought his recording would be nominated for a Grammy Award , Rucker responded : " If ' Wagon Wheel ' does n't get nominated for a GRAMMY , country music is screwed . It 's as simple as that . I 'm not saying I should win it , but it should be nominated . " Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave Rucker 's version a five-star rating . Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave Rucker 's version four and a half stars out of five . As to the reaction of the originating group , Rucker says , " I think the Old Crow Medicine Show guys are very happy about it , and that 's all that matters to me . " On Rucker 's version of the song , Chris ' Critter ' Fuqua of Old Crow Medicine Show says : Rucker 's version was nominated as Single of the Year for the 47th Country Music Association Awards along with Florida Georgia Line ( " Cruise " ) , Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban ( " Highway Do n't Care " ) , Miranda Lambert ( " Mama 's Broken Heart " ) and Kacey Musgraves ( " Merry Go ' Round " ) . Rucker closed the televised awards show with the song November 6 , 2013 . Rucker won the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards ( held January 26 , 2014 ) for his version of " Wagon Wheel " . Rucker 's win makes him only the second African American after Charley Pride to be both nominated for and win a vocal performance Grammy award in a country music category . Other nominees up for the same award were Lee Brice for " I Drive Your Truck " , Hunter Hayes for " I Want Crazy " , Miranda Lambert for " Mama 's Broken Heart " and Blake Shelton for " Mine Would Be You "
56th Annual Grammy Awards
56th Annual Grammy Awards
Wagon Wheel (song)