Kid Rock
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{{Infobox_Celebrity | name = Robert James Ritchie | image = kidrock.jpg | birth_date = January 17, 1971 | birth_place = Romeo, Michigan | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Musician | salary = | networth = | website = Official site }}
Kid Rock (real name Robert James Ritchie) is an American rapcore musician. He was born January 17, 1971 in Romeo, Michigan.
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Early years
Kid Rock derives his name from his early years of rapping in parking lots and bars, when, so Kid Rock says, listeners would remark, "Look at that white kid rock." He dropped "white," and his stage name was born. He began his hip-hop career at the age of 15. He became well-known in a Mount Clemens housing project because of his unique style of rapping. He later moved to New York City, where he was said to have lived just below Queen Latifah. He got to know a lot of the area's rappers and landed a tour deal with Ice Cube and Too $hort when he was only 18 years old.
Kid Rock's first album, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast was produced by Too $hort, D Nice and others and released in 1989 on the Jive label. This album defined his outlandish attitude, although the it was not a commercial success. When a college DJ played his song "Yodelin' in the Valley," he was fined $23,750 by the FCC. The president of the university described the song as "the most indecent thing ever heard".
After the release of his first album, Kid Rock attended an autograph signing at the Record Time store in Roseville, Michigan. While there, a young musician got into an argument with him; this was 17-year-old Marshall Mathers III, who later became famous as Eminem. The two formed a lasting friendship, with each appearing on the others' first major album. (Eminem did the last verse of "Fuck Off" on Devil Without A Cause, and Rock appeared on "Just Don't Give A Fuck" from The Slim Shady LP.)
In 1993 Kid Rock released The Polyfuze Method. In 1996 he released Early Morning Stoned Pimp along with the EP Fire it Up.
Mainstream success
In 1998, a decade after his first demo, Kid Rock joined Atlantic Records and released his first commercial success, Devil Without a Cause. The album went platinum 11 times in the US, almost becoming one of the top 50 top selling albums ever. The Detroit Red Wings selected the opening phrase from "Early Morning Stoned Pimp" as their victory chant. Further testament to Rock's popularity came in the unexpected form of singer Bette Midler's doing a pastiche of his hit single "Bawitdaba" (in a scat style) on her television sitcom.
In 2000, Kid Rock released his album The History Of Rock. He had acquired the rights to his indie-label recordings and remixed or re-recorded the best material for the album. The only new track was "American Bad Ass" which was his first single from the album. Later that year, he joined rock band Phish onstage for several songs at a concert in Las Vegas.
In 2001 Kid Rock released his album Cocky which was marketed as the follow up to Devil Without a Cause. It featured all new songs, but did not reach the same level of success, perhaps because fans rejected his fusion of country music into many of the tracks. However, his most successful single on the album was in fact the most country influenced. Rock has gained country music acclaim for such notable performances as "Picture", a duet with Sheryl Crow; his performance of "Luckenbach, Texas" on the Waylon Jennings tribute album I've Always Been Crazy; and his appearance on Country Music Television's Crossroads episode with Hank Williams, Jr.
In 2002 Rock released a cover of ZZ Top's "Legs" exclusively for the album on WWE's SmackDown Records entitled Forceable Entry. The song is still used on WWE television to this day.
In 2003 Kid Rock returned with a self-titled album which delved even more into country music. The first single was a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love".
Kid Rock made cameo appearances in two of Gretchen Wilson's music videos for the songs "Redneck Woman" and "All Jacked Up".
On February 28, 2006 Kid Rock released his first live album, Live Trucker, comprising songs from several different shows, including some done overseas. The album's cover pays tribute to fellow Michigan rocker Bob Seger by replicating the cover of his live album Live Bullet released in 1976.
Kid Rock today
Kid Rock's talent can be shown by the fact he is credited on his albums for not only vocals, but guitar (steel, rhythm, electric and acoustic), bass, percussion, mixing, mellotron, keyboard, backing vocals, slide guitar, scratching, programming, producer, and even banjo. He is famous for his high-energy personality on and off stage. Kid Rock's music has evolved considerably over time, which has caused him to lose and gain millions of fans.
A new studio album from Kid Rock is in the works. In a recent interview with Real Detroit Weekly, Rock said he is attempting to create "a timeless rock n' roll record" so there will be no rap or country on it; Rock also said the record will be produced by Rick Rubin and will feature the J. Geils Band's Peter Wolfe [1]. The new album has no release date as of yet, but it is estimated that it will be released by the end of 2006.
Kid Rock is to appear in an episode of CSI: NY called All Access as himself, which will air on CBS on April 26, 2006. In the episode, Kid Rock is questioned by the CSIs as he was the last person to see his limo driver alive.
Twisted Brown Trucker
Formed in 1994, Twisted Brown Trucker (TBT) is Kid Rock's band.
Current members
- Kenny Tudrick (lead guitar)
- Jason Krause (metal guitar, acoustic gutair)
- Jimmie Bones (keyboard, organ, piano, clavinet, Wurlitzer, harp, Jew's harp)
- Stefanie Eulinberg (drums, vocals)
- Aaron Julison (bass, vocals)
- Paradime (turntables, vocals)
- Karen Newman, Lauren Creamer, Thornetta Davis, Misty Love (vocals)
Former members
- Kenny Olson (lead guitar)
- Uncle Kracker (turntables)
Personal life
Kid Rock has one son, Robert James Ritchie Jr., born June 14, 1993 to Kelly South, a Detroit auto worker. In the fall of 2001 Kid Rock began dating actress and model Pamela Anderson. In April 2002 they announced their engagement, but during the fall of 2003 Kid Rock and Anderson broke up.
Kid Rock is known for outspoken political views. He has been a supporter of U.S. President George W. Bush. He was scheduled to perform at a pre-inauguration youth concert for President Bush, but the profanity and sexual innuendo in his lyrics caused the Bush campaign to reconsider. The fact that Rock's lyrics for "Pimp of the Nation" mention "pimpin' Barbara Bush," either the President's mother or daughter, did not help either.
The California pornography company Red Light District claims to have acquired a 1999 sex tape in which Kid Rock and Creed frontman Scott Stapp engage in sex acts with four groupies. They plan to release the tape in 2006. Counsel for Kid Rock and Scott Stapp have obtained a temporary injunction to prevent the video from being distributed online. Rock's attorneys are seeking to convert the TRO into a Permanent Injunction, thereby assuring that the tape never sees the light of day.
Discography
Albums
Grits Sandwiches For Breakfast (12/11/1990)
- "Yo Da Lin In The Valley" (banned from radio)
The Polyfuze Method (3/25/1993)
- "Back From The Dead" (Central Michigan University Hot Rap Tracks 1992:#20)
- "U Don't Know Me" (did not chart)
Fire It Up! (EP, 1/1/1994)
Early Mornin Stoned Pimp (1/9/1996)
The Polyfuze Method Revisited (5/30/1997)
Devil Without A Cause (8/18/1998, 11 million units sold in US)
- "Welcome 2 The Party" (did not chart)
- "I Am The Bullgod" (Mainstream Rock: #31)
- "Bawitdaba" (Mainstream Rock: #10, Modern Rock: #11)
- "Cowboy" (Billboard Hot 100: #82, Top 40: #34, Arc Top 40: #14 Mainstream Rock: #5, Modern Rock: #10)
- "Only God Knows Why" (Billboard Hot 100: #19, Top 40: #5, Top 40 Tracks: #6, Arc Top 40:#6, Mainstream Rock: #13, Modern Rock: #5)
- "Wasting Time" (Arc Top 40: #34, Mainstream Rock: #35)
The History of Rock (5/25/2000, 3 million units sold in US)
- "American Bad Ass" (Mainstream Rock: #20, Modern Rock: #33)
Cocky (11/20/2001, 5 million units sold in US, Picture Certified Gold Single)
- "Forever" (Mainstream Rock: #21, Modern Rock: #18)
- "Lonely Road Of Faith" (Mainstream Rock: #15)
- "You Never Met A Motherf-cker Quite Like Me" (Mainstream Rock: #32)
- "Picture" ft Crow/Moorer (Billboard Hot 100: #4, Billboard Hot Country: #21, Billboard Hot AC: #17, Top 40: #4, Top 40 Tracks: #5, Arc Top 40: #1 (1 week), Adult Reoccurances: #1, US Sales: #1 (37 weeks), Canada Sales: #2, Country Sales: #1 (52 weeks))
Kid Rock (11/11/2003, 2 million units sold in US)
- "Feel Like Makin Love" (Mainstream Rock: #33)
- "Cold And Empty" (Arc Top 40: #36, AC: #20)
- "Jackson, Mississippi" (Mainstream Rock: #14)
- "I Am" (Mainstream Rock: #28)
- "Single Father" (Billboard Hot Country: #50)
Live Trucker (2/28/2006, 113,000 copies sold so far in first month on shelves)
- "Bawitdaba (Live)" (Modern Rock: #62)
- "Cowboy (Live)" (Modern Rock: #72, Mainstream Rock: #49)
- "Son Of Detroit (Live)" (Modern Rock: #70, Mainstream Rock: #32)
Other singles
"Heaven" w/ Uncle Kracker, Paradime
"Naked Women And Beer" w/ Hank Williams Jr
"New Skin" w/ Method Of Mayhem
"The F-Word" w/ Hank Williams Jr
"Gimmie Back My Bullets" w/ Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" w/ Nickleback
"Lubbeneck, TX" w/ Kenny Chesney
Other appearances
N/A Harm's Way's Cut Corners EP (producer)
N/A Harm's Way's Chato Diablo (producer)
1991 "Yo Da Lin In The Valley" 12" vinyl
1991 Beastcrew's Chapter 1 album (performer)
1992 ICP's Carnival Of Carnage (performer)
1992 "Back From The Dead" single
1993 "U Don't Know Me" single
1994-1995 Bootleg Series Demo Tapes (cassette)
1998 The Howling Diablos' Its My Party EP (performer)
1999 Eminem's Slim Shady LP (scratches on "Just Dont Give A F-ck")
2000 Maximum Kid Rock
2000 Devil Knows My Name DVD
2000 Star Profile
2000 Uncle Kracker's Double Wide (producer, performer)
2000 The Crow: Salvation soundtrack (performer)
2000 Run DMC's Crown Royal (performer)
2000 Method Of Mayhem self-titled (performer)
2000 South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut soundtrack (performer)
2000 Hank Williams Jr's Stormy (performer)
2000 A Tribute To Kid Rock
2000 Robert Bradley's Black Water Surprise (performer, producer)
2000 Sun Records Recording (performer)
2000 Any Given Sunday soundtrack (performer)
2000 Murder 1's American Junkie (performer)
2001 Osmosis Jones soundtrack (performer)
2001 Road Trip soundtrack (performer)
2002 Uncle Kracker's No Stranger To Shame (producer)
2003 A Tribute To Weylon Jennings (performer)
2003 Charlie's Angels soundtrack (performer)
2003 Lynyrd Skynyrd's Viscious Cycle (performer)
2004 Uncle Kracker's 72 And Sunny (producer)
2004 Willie Nelson's Angels And Outlaws (performer)
2005 Sheryl Crow's Best Of (performer)
2005 Allison Moorer's Show (performer)
2005 R. L. Burnside's A Bothered Mind (performer, producer)
2005 Kenny Wayne Sheppard's A Place You're In (performer)
2005 A Tribute To Kid Rock And His Roots
2005 Paradime's 11 Steps Down (performer)
2006 Gretchen Wilson's All Jacked Up (performer)
2006 Run DMC's Checks,Thugs And Rock N Roll (producer, performer)