Kid Rock's new single, "Ain't enough Whiskey" dropped Monday with an exclusive release on Rare (a Cox Media Group entity, like this website) ahead of its iTunes debut. In honor of his latest release, we rounded up some of the most surprising facts about the longtime entertainer.
He made up "Kid Rock"
His real name is Robert James Ritchie, or "Bob" to his family. According to the New Yorker, as a teenager he gave himself the nickname "Kid Rock" after he taught himself how to break dance, rap and DJ.
He endorsed a candidate in the last presidential election
Ritchie supported Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential elections, and his song, "Born Free" became a campaign anthem for the candidate. He told The New Yorker that he liked that Romney was "a complete nerd."
He is an entrepreneur
Ritchie has his own line of beer called "Badass American Lager." It debuted in 2009 and is primarily found in Rock's home state of Michigan. He also owns a clothing and accessories company called "Made in Detroit."
His upbringing wasn't what you'd think
While he sings and raps about being "straight out the trailer," he grew up comfortably. His dad owned a car dealership and, according to the New Yorker, provided them with a home featuring a swimming pool, tennis courts and an apple orchard.
He's about to be a grandpa
The 44-year-old has a son, Robert, Jr., with his high-school girlfriend, and according to The Guardian, he is set to become a grandfather later this year. "I am excited, but also nervous for my son," he told The Guardian. "He was dropped on my doorstep at six months when I had no money and was trying to be a rock star. I didn't have a clue."
He's still single
Rock has only been married once--to Pamela Anderson in 2006. Their marriage lasted only four months.
He tries to help fans out with pricing
Last summer, Rock took a pay cut, only charging $20 per ticket to his concerts. The shows also had cheaper drinks and food. According to Billboard, he said of the offer: "Every little thing they nickel and dime you…Artists demand so much money, and you have to set ticket prices at [a certain level]. Everyone's fighting the system, and it's really been all of our faults. We're all fortunate to make as much money as we do, and I can surely take a pay cut and help out in these hard times."
He's not a huge fan of the internet
"I don't FaceTweet or whatever people do," he told The Guardian. "I understand that I'm the old guy now." But, he said, he's "comfortable with that."
He has an extensive gun collection
He told The Guardian, "I have everything from a Civil War cannon to an MP5 machine gun and old police guns. If someone invades your house, yeah, you can shoot them. I don't think crazy people should have guns."
