Kid Rock

Robert James "Bob" Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), in Romeo, Michigan to William "Bill" Ritchie, a car dealer who owned several local dealerships, and Susan Ritchie. His family also owned a six-acre orchard and Ritchie regularly helped pick apples and cared for the family's horses. He has three siblings: two are older, brother William "Billy" Ritchie and sister Carol Ritchie; and one is younger, sister Jill Ritchie who is an actress.

Ritchie found small-town life to be dull; he became interested in rap music, learning how to breakdance and participating in talent shows in the Detroit area. At age eleven he joined a breakdance crew called the Furious Funkers, teaching himself how to work a cheap belt-driven turntable. In high school, Ritchie DJed at parties for beer. He eventually joined Bo Wisdom of Groove Time Productions, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan to perform basement parties for thirty dollars a night. It was then that he was given his stage name; club goers dubbed him "Kid Rock" after they had enjoyed watching "that white kid rock."

On December 30, 1990 Kid Rock released his debut album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast. Jive Records ended up not pushing the album. However the album still gained infamy when the radio station WSUC-FM (90.5) of Cortland, NY was fined $23,700 by the FCC for playing the song "Yo-Da-Lin In the Valley". At the time it was the largest fine ever placed on a radio station. Jive Records released Kid Rock from his contract in 1991. Once back in Detroit he would become friends with Uncle Kracker after battling his brother in a freestyle rapping competition. He would eventually become Kid Rock's DJ until he went solo full time in 2000.

In late 1991 Kid Rock was picked up by an independent record label called Continuum Records, which released his second album The Polyfuze Method in March 1993. The album was more rock oriented with Rock teaching himself how to play several different instruments including guitar, drums, keyboard and organ. The album saw some local college radio success at Central Michigan University with the tracks "Back From The Dead" and "Balls In Your Mouth". He would release "U Don't Know Me" as the first official single off the album, but it failed to chart, and the music video received little airplay on any major music video channels. Kid Rock re-released "Back From The Dead" as a single to mainstream radio, but that too failed as a single. The album has sold around 15,000 copies. In 1992 Kid Rock appeared in the song "Is That You?" of the Carnival of Carnage by the Insane Clown Posse.

Lava/Atlantic Records A&R man Andy Karp was interested, after seeing Kid Rock in Cleveland in December 1996, and again in March 1997. Following a two song demo tape containing "Somebody's Gotta Feel This" and "I Got One For Ya", Jason Flom supported Karp in signing Kid Rock for $100,000.

In April 2010 Kid Rock started the Born Free era off with a spring cruise dubbed "The Chillin The Most Cruise". Then he followed that up by hosting the CMT Awards in June and performed "Cowboy". Kid Rock released Born Free on November 16, 2010 and it debut at No 5 selling 189,000 copies in its first week. The album was produced by Rick Rubin and featured David Hildago and Matt Sweeny on gutair as well as Chad Smith on drums and Benmont Tench on keys and piano. The album became his first album not to feature a parental advisory sticker on it. The album's lead single was the patriotic "Born Free." It was the theme song to the 2010 MLB playoffs on TBS as well as WWE's Tribute To The Troops Special. The album reached gold status on December 15, 2010. The album's current single is " God Bless Saturday".

On January 15, 2011 Kid Rock celebrated his 40th birthday with a performance at Ford Field in Detroit. The marathon concert featured Uncle Kracker, Peter Wolfe, Rev Run, Sheryl Crow, Cindy Crawford, Jimmie Johnson and Anita Baker. Kid Rock is currently writing songs for his successor to Born Free. "We've already started writing for the next record and talking about the feel and where we want to go with it," Rock told Billboard.com during a press conference Thursday announcing an Aug. 12 stadium show in his home town of Detroit. "I think 'Born Free' was kind of a transitional record with Rick Rubin (producer) and going into the rootsy, American blues/rock 'n' roll vibe. I'd kind of like to go back to something like maybe a 'Cocky' feel; that record, but knowing more now and trying to put those elements together." Rock's other future plan includes coming to terms with video footage he's accumulated over the years and possibly making some commercially available in the near future. "It's something I struggle with," he acknowledged. "I've probably shot six DVDs, professionally, had them edited and everything. But it's like anything; if you go see a sporting event or whatever, it's always better live.