Why We Can Stop Hating Kid Rock

Kid Rock has an undeserved bad reputation. Whether or not you appreciate his music, he's actually a really good guy. Check it out.

Kid Rock is outspoken about most of his opinions, but he may be most vocal about, well, vocals. The "Bawitdaba" singer is fiercely opposed to lip syncing during performances. At the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, before presenting an award to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, he griped, "Let's give it up for people lip-synching under pre-recorded music." It's unclear to whom his remarks were directed, but there were two artists who attracted criticism for their performances that same night: Selena Gomez, who's been busted more than once using a backing track, and Chris Brown, who performed a choreography-heavy rendition of "Fine China" with a pre-recorded track.

Though Kid Rock pledged to stop taking photos with fans to protect his privacy (and his safety, because he's often tagged in locations, which can get scary), he still shows his appreciation in big ways.

The Detroit Free Press reports that in 2014, after a 30-year-old fan with Down syndrome named Dan McGurk sent Kid Rock letters and posted videos asking him to come to his birthday party, the rocker actually showed up. Not only that, Kid Rock sang happy birthday, stayed for two hours, and gave McGurk a bunch of gifts, including a custom guitar.

Two years later, Kid Rock invited McGurk to see him perform at the Tailgate n' Tallboys Music Festival in Illinois. A spy told Rare Country, "They greeted each other with big hugs, just like old high school buddies would do. But then, Dan gave him a St. Michael medal in remembrance of Kid Rock's former assistant [Mike Sacha, who passed away as a result of an ATV accident on Kid Rock's property in 2016.] And when Kid Rock came out to play, there the medal was, hanging around his neck."

Kid Rock puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to supporting troops and veterans. In 2012, Fox News reported that Kid Rock personally teamed up with the nonprofit group Operation Finally Home to provide houses for veterans in his home state of Michigan.

He has participated in several USO tours, even performing a spontaneous show with John Stamos during what was originally just going to be an autograph session in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. According to Billboard, "when the thousands of troops started cheering him on, he gave an impromptu concert, using instruments on stage designated for a military band. 'I grabbed the guitar and started singing a cappella," he said. 'John Stamos played the drums.'"

The "American Bad Ass" also started an incredibly successful care package drive for troops and has received awards for his patriotism.

When Kid Rock read that an Orlando-area Boy Scout troop's trailer and gear were stolen from behind a church before a camping trip, the singer leapt into action. According to the Orlando Sentinel (via People), Kid Rock emailed the troop leader, writing, "I will cut them a check for the difference and hopefully will allow the boys to make their trip." When asked about it later, the "Only God Knows Why" crooner declined to comment. His rep said simply, "Kid Rock was very happy to help out."

Quiet philanthropy seems to be the rocker's modus operandi. His Kid Rock Foundation donated more than $1.5 million to children's, veterans, and music education causes nationwide in the last three years. Kid Rock's best friend, Jamey Johnson, characterized the musician's generosity in Rolling Stone: "He's the kind of guy that does the right thing even when no one's looking. You're more likely to go and find out some of the charitable things he's done in his life from other people than from him, because he won't talk about it...I've been driving with him, and he picks up the phone and hear a conversation go down and I know damn well he just sent a huge check to somebody. I'll say, 'Well, what was that all about?' And he'll say, 'Just a friend of mine.' He's humble about his charities, I guess."

When Kid Rock opened his own BADASS Brewery in his hometown of Detroit, he required 50 percent of its employees to be city residents. The Motor City native also owns the Made In Detroit clothing line, and proudly told MLive that he's "never taken a dime of salary or profit or even expensed a meal" from that company. Additionally, his own Robert J. Ritchie Foundation supports the Rainbow Connection, donating thousands of dollars to the Michigan-based children's charity every year.

You already know that Kid Rock is awesome to his fans, but he's also awesome to their wallets, and, in doing so, to his own bottom line. His $20 ticket prices are the stuff of legend, and the bargain rates not only help fans who may be down on their luck, but also boost his concert draws.

He explained his rebellious marketing scheme to Billboard in 2013, "It's always going to come down to price, but I think [from the fan's perspective] it's more the service charges, the fees, getting in there and not knowing what beers will cost, what they'll hit you for parking. Every little thing they nickel and dime you," he said.

Kid Rock has also offered cheap booze at his shows, selling a 12-ounce cold one for 4 bucks, and he takes pride in sending staff around the venue to identify hardcore fans and upgrade their tickets to front row seats.

In addition to low ticket prices, Kid Rock also reduced the prices of his merchandise. "A few tours back, we were selling shirts for $35-$40—which everybody is—and I'm like, 'This is highway robbery,' especially after owning a t-shirt business...and really knowing what the prices are for us to buy 'em...So I slashed our t-shirt prices to $20 and $25 and we made the same amount of per cap selling more shirts every night," he told Billboard in 2013.

"I'm fortunate to be able to try this, and I think somebody like me has to, somebody that has had a lot of success that can go out and afford to possibly lose," he said. "I can roll the dice, and we might not make a dime this summer, but I can afford to do that. And I'm not asking my band or my crew to take a pay cut, I'm the one saying, 'if this doesn't work out, I'll take the pay cut.' It's a way of saying 'thank you' to the fans that have been coming to the shows for the last 15 years."