This is the most Kid Rock story I’ve ever heard.
The rapper and country rocker has never really shied away from his wild past. He’s admitted that while raising his son, he would be “driving the field trip Monday” after being with four hookers over the weekend. And he’s had his fair share of legal troubles along the way too.
Kid Rock (whose real name is Bob Ritchie) was once arrested for punching a man at a Waffle House at 5 AM after a show. But maybe the wildest – and most Kid Rock – story of them all comes from an incident at a Nashville strip club.
This one happened way back in 2005, at the height of Kid Rock’s popularity. The “Devil Without A Cause” was partying at Christie’s Cabaret, a strip club here in Music City, while in town to perform at a tribute to songwriter Merle Kilgore at the Ryman Auditorium.
Well apparently Kid Rock wasn’t a fan of the music the DJ, 30-year old Jerry Campos, was playing. There was some sort of altercation between Rock’s group and Campos, and after believing that the DJ had insulted them, Kid Rock ended up punching Campos in the face.
Rock then apparently moved the party to another strip club, and when police came looking for him, slipped out the back door and went back to an apartment near Vanderbilt University.
But the story doesn’t end there: While on his way back, Rock was pulled over by a Vanderbilt police officer for squealing the tires of his Corvette. The officer admitted that he smelled alcohol on the star, but never administered any sobriety tests and ended up letting Kid Rock off with a warning – after getting his autograph. (The officer was later fired).
Well police investigating the strip club incident finally caught up with Kid Rock later that morning, and at around 7 AM he was taken into custody for simple assault – a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. And when they finally arrested him, Kid Rock had an incredible reason for running from the scene: He wanted to sober up before going to jail.
The then-34-year old was released on $3,000 bail, and told reporters as he was leaving the jail:
“Everything is wonderful. It was a beautiful night.”
Kid Rock would eventually plead no contest to the assault and was given a suspended sentence of a year in jail – which means he didn’t actually have to serve any time behind bars. He was also ordered to take an anger management class, and buy new glasses for Campos after allegedly breaking them in the altercation.
Campos would also file a lawsuit against Kid Rock (despite suffering no apparent injuries), asking for $75,000 in compensatory damages and half a million dollars in punitive damages.
The DJ claimed that he suffered a “loss of enjoyment of life” after the assault. The lawsuit appears to have been settled for an undisclosed amount in 2013.
Kid Rock would discuss this arrest – and his others – with Tucker Carlson and John Daly earlier this year, where he described all of his arrests as “for standing up for somebody.”
Just another day in the life of Kid Rock.