“I do not believe that artists or actors and people should be out there like voicing their full-blown opinions on politics because, let’s face it, at the end of the day, I’m not that smart of a guy. I play Rock ‘n’ Roll, that's what I do. Who would you trust to make your decisions, Donald Rumsfeld or the Dixie Chicks?” Kid Rock
American rapper, singer, rock musician and actor Kid Rock, born Robert James Ritchie, received widespread popularity with his diamond certified album Devil without a Cause (1998), which spawned the mainstream hit “Bawitdaba.” He has since established a fruitful career with multi-platinum albums like The History of Rock (2000) and Cocky (2001) and the double-platinum Kid Rock (2003). Rock recently made his return to the music industry with the live album Live Trucker.
Rock branched out to acting in 2001 with the comedy Joe Dirt, opposite David Spade, and in 2003, he added Reggie Rock Bythewood’s Biker Boyz to his acting resume. Additionally, he did voice-over work for ”The Simpsons” (2000), Osmosis Jones (2001) and “King of the Hill” (2002).
Off screen, Rock is known for his frank political views and is a loyal supporter of U.S. President George W. Bush. On a negative note, he is recognized for creating controversy. The California pornography company Red Light District was stated to have a 1999 sex video where the rap-rocker and ex-Creed frontman Scott Stapp were involved in sex acts with four groupies. The tape is set to be released this year. Rock’s attorneys have reached a faltering agreement to extend a judge’s order blocking the release of the sex video.
As for his private life, the owner of an $800,000, three-story home in Nashville, Tennessee, Rock became headlines for having a traitorous affair with former Playboy pin-up of TV’s “Baywatch” and “VIP” Pamela Anderson while she was still married to musician Tommy Lee. The two met at the VH1 Diva’s Live concert in 2001 and later became engaged before finally splitting up in 2003. The 6’ 1” tall singer has also been involved with model/actress James King (separated in late 2000), Kelley Russell and Detroit autoworker Kelly South, with whom he shares a son.
Bobby
Childhood and Family:
In Romeo, Michigan, Robert James Ritchie, who would later be famous as Kid Rock, was born on January 17, 1971. The attractively seedy, hard-rocking star derived his name from his early years when he rapped in parking lots and night clubs and the audiences said, ”Watch that white kid rock!”
Kid Rock, who carried the nicknames Bob or Bobby, is the son of Susan Ritchie and the brother of actress Jill Ritchie. He is also the close friend of NHL superstars Chris Chelios and Sergei Fedorov. Kid and ex-lover Kelly South have a son named Robert James Ritchie Jr. (born on June 14, 1993).
Live Trucker
Career:
Kid Rock entered the hip-hop scene when he was 15 and soon became a favorite in the Mt. Clemens housing project due to his distinctive style of rapping. A native of Romeo, Michigan , Rock later relocated to New York City and by the time he was 18, he had signed a tour contract with musicians like Ice Cube and Too $hort. The same year, he also launched a debut album called Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, co-produced by Too $hort, D Nice and others under the Jive label. Despite the commercial failure, the album clearly established Rock’s eccentric attitude. One of the album’s tracks, “Yodelin’ in the Valley,” was banned from radio and even referred to by a college president as “the most indecent thing ever heard.” When a university DJ played the song, he was fined $25,000 by the FCC.
Four years after the release of his initial album, Rock’s sophomore effort, The Polyfuze Method, hit the music stores in 1993. The album spawned a single, “Back from the Dead,” which peaked at No. 20 on the Central Michigan University Hot Rap Tracks. It was followed by his EP called Fire It Up in 1994 and his next albums, Early Mornin Stoned Pimp in 1996 and The Polyfuze Method Revisited in 1997.
However, Rock didn’t acquire mainstream success until he joined Atlantic Records in 1998 and released the much-liked album, a fusion of metal and hip-hop, Devil without a Cause. It was a great victory for the rapper since the album received 11-times platinum certifications in the U.S. One of its tracks, the hit “Bawitdaba,” rocketed to No. 1 on the Modern Rock chart and became a Top Ten hit in Mainstream Rock. Additionally, it also produced such hits as “Wasting Time” (Arc Top 40: #34, Mainstream Rock: #35), “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), “Cowboy” (Billboard Hot 100: #82, Top 40: #34, Arc Top 40: #14, Mainstream Rock: #5, Modern Rock: #10) and "I Am The Bullgod" (Mainstream Rock: #31). The massive victory of Devil without a Cause subsequently made Rock a favorite among music fans.
This highly successful album, combined with Rock’s frank and compelling persona, was enough for Hollywood to come calling. The singer was soon hired to voice the animated version of himself in ”The Simpsons” (2000) and later “King of the Hill” (2002). He also appeared as a musical guest in an episode of the popular “Saturday Night Live” (2000).
As for music, Rock collected tracks from his previous albums and recorded the only new song, “American Bad Ass,” for his compilation album, The History of Rock (2000). Although it didn’t earn the same success as Devil without a Cause, the album sold 3 million copies in the U.S. He fared better with his 2001 album, the multi-platinum selling Cocky, in which Rock blended county music into many of his tracks. Containing the Gold Single “Picture” (a duet with country star Sheryl Crow), and other popular songs like “Lonely Road Of Faith,” “Forever” and “You Never Met A Motherf-cker Quite Like Me,” the album became Rock’s second best selling album with 5 millions units sold in the U.S.
After the release of Cocky, Rock released a cover of ZZ Top’s “Legs” solely for the album on WWE’s SmackDown Records, Forceable Entry. He didn’t make a comeback into the music scene until 2003 when he launched a self-titled album, Kid Rock, which explored country music more. Its first track was a cover of Bad Company’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love.”
Meanwhile, Kid Rock also tried his hand in acting by taking a supporting part in the David Spade comedy vehicle Joe Dirt (2001), where he was seen as Robby. He also provided the voice of Kidney Rock in the less-adored, animated biological feature Osmosis Jones (2001) before being seen in the Reggie Rock Bythewood-helmed Biker Boyz (2003), an action film which starred Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke and Orlando Jones.
On February 28, 2006, Rock returned to the hip-hop scene with his first live album, Live Trucker, which sold 113,000 copies on its first month of release. The album consists of many different shows, including some done overseas. Its cover pays compliments to fellow Michigan rocker Bob Seger by duplicating the cover of Seger’s 1976 album Live Bullet.
January 17, 1971 (Romeo, Michigan, USA)