Kid Rock clearly isn’t into all the fawning that goes on with celebrity. Striding into the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts a few months ago, he bypassed the handlers who were set to cater to the performers at the Point of Light Celebration that honored former President George H.W. Bush. Instead, Rock posed for a few photos, briefly chatted with fans, and was on his way. That type of down-home attitude is one that translates to his music and has resonated with rock fans in his hometown of Detroit, country fans in Nashville, Tenn., (where Kid Rock owns a condo) and to music fans seemingly everywhere else.
“People in north Michigan are not different at all from people in southern Alabama,” Kid Rock told Time Out Chicago. “Trust me, someone who’s spent a lot of time in both places. They’re all hardworking, simple people.”
| Onstage |
| ‘Born Free Tour’ with Kid Rock with Sheryl Crow |
| When: 7 p.m. Monday |
| Where: Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow |
| Info: $20 to $100; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
The same could be said for Kid Rock, who has worked hard to remain true to his middle class roots. Not only has he walked the red carpet with his dad, but he’s shed what he calls “dramatic” aspects of his life (think marriage to Pamela Anderson) that other musicians might embrace. The title of his latest album and current tour with Sheryl Crow, “Born Free,” is perhaps a more accurate glimpse into the attitude of Rock, whose birth name is Bob Richie.
“He is so appreciative of the people who put him where he is,” said Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr, whose band was invited by Rock to spend time at his Detroit home after they opened concerts for him. “He always tells his fans ‘I want to thank each of you for spending your hard earned money to see me.’ And he means that.”
Although the album and current “Born Free” tour have been incredibly well received, Rock has been quoted as saying he’d like his next album — currently in the planning stages — to return to more of the Southern rock sound he had on his 2001 album “Cocky.”
Not that he plans to abandon country but bring hip-hop, rock and blues into the Southern rock equation.
Calling the planned vibe for the next record “fun” instead of the “serious” path that Rick Rubin inspired, Rock tells the Southtown Star, a publication of the Chicago Sun-Times, that fans might not have to wait too long for the new recording.
“I’d like to get it out sooner than later — but I say that every record,” he said. “I’d love to get it out for next summer. Is that gonna happen? I don’t know.”
