Cobo Center

The Lodge Freeway passes underneath, then immediately comes up to its end at street level (Jefferson Avenue).
Location	1 Washington Blvd. Detroit, Michigan 48226 United States
Coordinates	42°19′34″N 83°2′49″W / 42.32611°N 83.04694°W / 42.32611; -83.04694Coordinates: 42°19′34″N 83°2′49″W / 42.32611°N 83.04694°W / 42.32611; -83.04694
Type	Convention center
Opened	1960
Renovated	1989, 2012
Expanded	2012
Owner	City of Detroit
Website	Official website

Cobo Center is a major convention center situated along Jefferson and Washington avenues in downtown Detroit, Michigan, USA. It was named for Albert E. Cobo, mayor of Detroit from 1950 to 1957. Designed by Gino Rossetti, the center opened in 1960. Expanded in 1989, the present 2,400,000 sq ft (220,000 m²) complex contains 725,000 sq ft (67,400 m²) of exhibition space, with 625,000 square feet contiguous. Preliminary construction to update and further expand the center's exhibition space began October 1, 2009. Cobo Center, along with adjacent Joe Louis Arena, is served by the Detroit People Mover with its own station. Cobo Center has a large attached parking garage with direct access to the Lodge Freeway. Cobo Center is located along the Detroit International Riverfront.

The center is the home of the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS, which it hosts each January, and Autorama, which it hosts each March. There are about 5,000 hotel rooms in downtown Detroit with 4,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of Cobo Center.^[1]

History[link]

The Center and its attached arena initially cost $56 million and took four years to complete. It is located on the site where Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French colonist, first set foot and landed on the banks of the river in July 1701 and claimed the area for France in the name of King Louis XIV.

As one of the nation’s first mega convention centers, Cobo became even larger when renovations and expansions were completed in 1989. At a cost of $225 million, it nearly doubled in size to 2.4 million total square feet and was renamed Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center. Now, the Center offers 725,000 square feet of prime exhibit space in five exhibit halls ranging in size from 100,000 to 200,000 square feet. Cobo’s flexible design allows the adjoining four exhibit halls on the main floor to form 625,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space.

The first convention at Cobo Center was held in 1960 by the Florist Telegraph Delivery (FTD). The first event was the 43rd Auto Industry Dinner on October 17, 1960. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the keynote speaker, and the ceremony aired live on WXYZ-TV.

Since 1965, the largest event held in Cobo Center is the nation’s premier automobile show, The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), occurring annually in January. This prestigious event draws hundreds of international press and suppliers during its initial five days and has a spectacular charity preview party for 11,000 guests the evening before the public opening. Since 1976, the Charity Preview has raised an average of $2.4 million yearly for southeastern Michigan children’s charities. After the Charity Preview party, the NAIAS is open to the public for ten days, drawing, on average, 735,000 attendees.

The 12,000-seat Cobo Arena opened in 1960 and was home to the Detroit Pistons from 1961-1978. It hosted great concerts such as the Doors, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Kiss and many others. The arena also hosted Presidential speeches, boxing, wrestling, figure skating, roller derby and local Detroit-area graduation ceremonies.

The Joe Louis Arena, named after boxer and former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who grew up in Detroit, was built adjacent and connected to the Cobo Center, and completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million. It has a seating capacity of 20,058 (including suites); 20,338 for end-stage concerts and 21,152 for center-stage concerts. It is the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League, who brought six Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Joe, winning four of them, two at home. The Joe Louis Arena played host to the 1980 Republican National Convention. Former Arena Football League team the Detroit Drive also had success during its time at the arena, playing in six consecutive Arena Bowls from 1988 to 1993 and winning four of them. In addition, the Joe Louis Arena is a concert and production venue, hosting such greats as Cirque du Soleil.

In 1987, the City of Detroit began operations of the city’s elevated light-rail system, the People Mover, with stations in both Cobo Center and the Joe Louis Arena. The Detroit People Mover connects attendees to all Center events with hotels and restaurants in the Renaissance Center, Greektown, Bricktown, Times Square, and throughout the Detroit Financial District. The latest estimates show the Detroit People Mover bringing 35,000 visitors a day into Cobo Center for the NAIAS, nearly one third the average daily attendance.

Every sitting U.S. President since 1960 (Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) has addressed a convention or attended an event at Cobo Center. Prior to becoming President, Barack Obama also visited, but he has not yet done so since taking office.

Today, Cobo Center is managed and operated by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA). The five-member Authority Board consists of one representative from each of five government agencies – the City of Detroit, State of Michigan and the three metro-Detroit counties of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. The DRCFA is currently overseeing a $299 million expansion and upgrade of Cobo Center that is scheduled for completion in Jan. 2015.

In October 2010, the DRCFA awarded the contract for operations management of Cobo Center to SMG, the world leader in venue management, marketing and development. The success of this new contract is seen in the statement made by the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show, the center's largest show) after the 2011 auto show: “The ongoing changes and renovations we will see at Cobo Center under the DRCFA and SMG will keep our collective teams making noted championship runs for years to come.” On January 5, 2012, the NAIAS and Cobo Center signed an unprecedented 5-year contract to host the auto show in Detroit through 2017.

Photo gallery[link]

• 

  Cobo Arena from Jefferson in Detroit

• 

  Cobo Arena from Windsor, with the Detroit People Mover in the foreground

• 

  Cobo Center viewed from Windsor

• 

  A model of downtown in the Renaissance Center lobby shows Cobo Center.

References[link]

Cobo Center Press Room at cobocenter.com

External links[link]

• Official Cobo Center Website

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Ace Frehley
Background information
Birth name	Paul Daniel Frehley
Also known as	"The Spaceman" or "Space Ace"
Born	(1951-04-27) April 27, 1951 (age 61) The Bronx, New York, United States
Genres	Hard rock, heavy metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals, bass
Years active	1965–present
Labels	Casablanca, Mercury, Megaforce, Bronx Born
Associated acts	Cathedral, Wicked Lester, Kiss, Frehley's Comet, Ace Frehley Band
Website	www.acefrehley.com
Notable instruments
Gibson Les Paul

Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley ( /ˈfreɪli/; born April 27, 1951)^[1][2] is an American musician best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics. Frehley played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982.

After leaving Kiss, Frehley embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour. His second tenure with Kiss lasted until 2002, when he left at the conclusion of what was purported to be the band's Farewell Tour. His latest album Anomaly, was released on September 15, 2009.^[3] Guitar World magazine ranked him 14th Greatest Metal Guitarist of All Time.

There are many guitarists who were inspired by the sound of Frehley and among these there are Slash, Dimebag Darrell, Chuck Schuldiner, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, John Norum, Dave Sabo, Alex Skolnick, Scott Ian, Mick Mars, Jake E. Lee, Paul Gilbert and many others.

In a 2009 interview with Rock N Roll Experience Magazine Ace stated, "I'm an Anomaly, I'm an un-schooled musician, I don't know how to read music, but I'm one of the most famous guitar players in the world, so go figure." ^[4]

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Frehley was born and raised in The Bronx, the youngest of three children. His father, Carl, was the son of Dutch immigrants and his mother Esther's family originated from Germany.^[5] He has a sister Nancy and a brother Charles, a classical guitarist. As a youth, Frehley was in a New York street gang called The Duckies with Steven Edward Duren (aka Blackie Lawless, who would later become frontman for heavy metal band W.A.S.P.). The Frehleys were a musical family, and when Frehley received an electric guitar as a Christmas present in 1964, he immersed himself in learning the instrument. "I never went to music school; I never took a guitar lesson, but everybody in my family plays an instrument. My mother and father both played piano, his father was the church organist, and my brother and sister both played piano and acoustic guitar." Frehley was always surrounded by music. Frehley started playing guitar at age 13. He lists Jimi Hendrix, Albert Lee, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who as his main influences.^[6]

When Frehley's band, Cathedral, started earning a series of paying gigs, Frehley dropped out of high school. At the insistence of his family and girlfriend, Frehley eventually returned and earned his diploma. After graduation, Frehley held a string of short-term jobs—mail carrier, furniture deliverer, messenger, and liquor store delivery boy.^[7]

Growing up on the corner of Marion Avenue and 201st Street, off Bedford Park Boulevard (a/k/a 200th Street) and Webster Avenue in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx,^[8] Frehley graduated Grace Lutheran School at age 13. However, he was thrown out of two high schools and dropped out of the third. Two of the high schools he attended were DeWitt Clinton High School on Mosholu Parkway and Theodore Roosevelt High School on Fordham Road. It was in his high school years that he got the nickname "Ace" when he had the ability to get his friends dates. His friends said, "You are a real ace." It was also in his high school years that a guidance counselor encouraged him to get into graphic arts. His family did not have a lot of money, and in his teen years, Frehley got involved in street gangs. He would later credit guitar playing for "saving his life" as a member of Kiss.

Kiss[link]

Frehley spent the early 1970s in a series of local bands. In late 1972, his best friend, Bob McAdams (co-author of the book Kiss & Tell), spotted an advertisement for a lead guitarist in the Village Voice and showed the ad to Frehley. Both McAdams and Frehley went to 10 East 23rd Street above the Live Bait Bar. Frehley auditioned for Wicked Lester members Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (bass guitar) and Peter Criss (drums). Frehley, who showed up wearing one red sneaker and one orange sneaker, was less than impressive visually, but the band liked what they heard from his playing. About three weeks after Frehley auditioned, the new group named him their lead guitarist. By January 1973, Wicked Lester decided on a new name – Kiss. Frehley designed the band's double-lightning-bolt logo. The band quickly decided to paint their faces for live performances, and Frehley decided to start painting silver stars on his eyes. When the group eventually decided to adopt a stage persona to go with their makeup designs. Frehley became "Space Ace". Later the stage persona would be known as "The Spaceman."

The Spaceman

While Kiss spent their early days rehearsing and playing in empty clubs, Frehley took a job as a part-time cab driver to pay his bills. In September 1973, Kiss began to receive a salary from new manager Bill Aucoin that paid each member $75 a week. This enabled Frehley to quit his job.

Kiss released their debut album, Kiss, in February 1974 – Frehley was credited for writing two songs, "Love Theme from KISS" (the only song written by the four original members) and a fan classic, "Cold Gin". However, due to Frehley's lack of confidence in his own singing voice, the vocals were performed by Simmons. Frehley wrote or co-wrote several of the band's songs over the next few years but did not record his vocals on a song until "Shock Me" (inspired by his near-electrocution during a concert in Lakeland, Florida), which appeared on 1977's Love Gun.^[7]

As lead guitarist, Frehley was known for his frenetic, atmospheric playing, becoming one of the most popular guitarists in the 70s and spawning a generation of new players. Frehley stated in the book Kiss: Behind the Mask that many guitarists have told him his playing on 1975's hit Alive! prompted them to pick up the instrument. Frehley is well-recognized for using Gibson Les Paul guitars, including his trademarked model conversion Les Paul Custom (that he modified himself) which filled the stage full of smoke during his live guitar solo.

Along with the three other Kiss members, Frehley released an eponymous solo album in 1978. His was the best-selling of the four, and the album's lone single – the Russ Ballard-written "New York Groove", originally recorded by Hello — reached the Top 20 in the United States.^[9]

Frehley's songwriting presence within the group increased in 1979. He contributed three songs for 1979's Dynasty and three for 1980's Unmasked. While this was not the best time for Kiss on a commercial level in the United States, they were only just beginning to take off in other countries (mostly in Australia, where Dynasty and Unmasked are their highest-selling albums). But even as his songwriting role within Kiss was increasing, Frehley found himself increasingly at odds with the musical direction of the band. After Peter Criss left Kiss in 1980, Frehley was often outvoted 2-1 in band decisions, as replacement drummer Eric Carr was not a partner in Kiss and had no vote. Frehley's participation in the recording of 1981's Music from "The Elder" was far more limited than with previous albums. This was in large part due to his unhappiness with the band's decision to create a concept album rather than a straightforward rock album, and also, by Frehley's own admission, his "not relating all that well" to producer Bob Ezrin, who cut many of Frehley's solos from the recorded tracks.

Although Frehley appeared on the covers for 1982's greatest hits album Killers and studio album Creatures of the Night, he had no involvement with Killers, and minimal (no musical) input on Creatures of the Night. Frehley's last appearances with the band were the video for "I Love It Loud", a series of European promotional appearances in November 1982 and a band interview with MTV in early 1983 promoting their world tour.

Solo career / Frehley's Comet[link]

In December 1982, Kiss began the Creatures of the Night tour without Frehley: he was replaced by Vinnie Vincent. However, Frehley retained a one-quarter share in the Kiss partnership until 1985. He received one-quarter of the profits for both Lick It Up and Animalize although he had no involvement with either record.^[1]

In 1984, Frehley started his post-Kiss solo career by assembling a band that included, among others, drummer Anton Fig (who had performed on Frehley's 1978 solo album and on two Kiss albums). Bassist John Regan (who had worked with Peter Frampton), whom Frehley met in 1980, was also an original member of the band as was vocalist/guitarist Richie Scarlet and keyboardist Arthur Stead.^[1] The group, whose name alternated between 'Ace Frehley' and Frehley's Comet, recorded a series of demos throughout 1984 and 1985.^[10] The band performed their first ever live show at S.I.R. Studios in New York City, NY on November 30, 1984, and played a handful of shows in the Northeast United States in March 1985.

After a few unsuccessful attempts at securing a recording contract, the group eventually signed to Megaforce Records and released their first album, Frehley's Comet, on July 7, 1987. The album was co-produced by Eddie Kramer, who had produced not only a number of Kiss albums, but Frehley's 1978 album and some of his 1984–85 demos. Anton Fig, now being the in-studio drummer for David Letterman's late-night television show, performed on the album but was unable to maintain a permanent commitment to touring. He played on the 1987 tour in the U.S. when Frehley's band played a double bill with Y&T, and new band (at the time) White Lion opening the shows. By the time the band began recording this album, Richie Scarlet had left the group to pursue other projects and was replaced by Tod Howarth. In addition, at some point between the initial Frehley's Comet shows in 1984–85 and their signing to Megaforce, the band had become a four-piece, with Arthur Stead no longer playing with the group.

Frehley's Comet, a mixture of hard rock and pop metal, was a successful return to the music scene for Frehley. The album peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 (selling nearly 500,000 copies^[1]), and the single, a Russ Ballard cover "Into the Night," reached No. 27 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.^[11] "Rock Soldiers" was an autobiographic song, written partially about Frehley's April 1982 car accident. The video for "Rock Soldiers" received moderate airplay on MTV, particularly on Headbangers Ball.

Despite the positive reviews and healthy album sales of Frehley's Comet, Frehley was unable to maintain much commercial momentum. Two 1988 Frehley's Comet albums—the live EP Live+1 and second studio album Second Sighting peaked at No. 84 and No. 81, respectively. A pair of tours in support of Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden ended prematurely, with the band claiming lack of payment in both cases.^[12]

In order to reverse his band's declining commercial fortunes, Frehley dropped the Frehley's Comet moniker and issued 1989's Trouble Walkin' under his own name. Tod Howarth and Jamie Oldaker also decided to leave before recording started on the album, and were replaced by Richie Scarlet and Sandy Slavin. Despite the return to a more traditional hard rock style, Trouble Walkin' continued the pattern of declining sales, and peaked at #102.

One notable aspect of Trouble Walkin' was the guest appearance of Peter Criss, who provided backing vocals on several tracks, along with Sebastian Bach and other members of Skid Row. It was the first time Criss and Frehley had performed together on an album since Kiss' 1979 album, Dynasty, although Criss had shown up briefly at a Frehley's Comet show in Los Angeles in 1987, playing drums on a final encore of "Deuce". Frehley would return the favor by playing solos on Peter's 'Criss' "Cat #1" CD on TNT Records, released in 1994. In contrast to the somewhat adversarial relationship Frehley had with Kiss (particularly Gene Simmons) throughout the 1980s, he and Criss had maintained good ties during the decade. In June 1995, Frehley's and Criss' bands embarked on the "Bad Boys Tour." These years (1993 to 1995) produced one of Frehley's most talented bands of his solo career, with Frehley on lead guitar and vocals, Richie Scarlet on guitar, Steve "Budgie" Werner on drums, and Karl Cochran on bass.

Kiss reunion and beyond[link]

Frehley in 1999.

The beginning of the "Bad Boys Tour" was followed a few months later by Frehley and Criss both performing with Kiss for their August 9, 1995 appearance on MTV Unplugged. It marked the first time the original members of Kiss had performed in public since the end of the Dynasty tour in 1979. Fan response was overwhelming, and rumors of a full-fledged reunion circulated. By December, the paperwork for the reunion was completed, although no official announcement was made at the time.^[12]

On February 28, 1996, the original members of Kiss appeared (in full makeup and costumes) at the Grammy Awards to a standing ovation. On April 16, Kiss officially announced their reunion and plans for a tour during a press conference aboard the USS Intrepid. The Alive/Worldwide Tour kicked off on June 28 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. The tour lasted through July 1997 and was a financial windfall for the group, earning $43.6 million.^[13]

The reunited Kiss issued Psycho Circus in September 1998. Frehley's lone song on the album, "Into the Void" (co-written with Karl Cochran), was performed during the subsequent tour. The Psycho Circus Tour, with new stage costumes (an updated version of those worn on their 1976 Destroyer tour), and a modified stage production from the Reunion tour, commenced in November 1998, after a Halloween Eve show at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium for over 40,000 fans, the first 30 minutes broadcast live on FOX TV, and the entire show broadcast on nationwide radio. (At the Dodger Stadium show, Frehley and Kiss performed old classics "Nothin' To Lose" and "She" for the only time since they were together in the 1970s). But the Psycho Circus tour was not nearly as successful as the Reunion tour of two years earlier, and, after a Kiss movie "Detroit Rock City" which was a dismal flop in the fall of 1999, Kiss took a break until early 2000, when Frehley re-signed to join them for a final tour—the "Farewell Tour", beginning March 11, 2000. Frehley, expecting that the tour would be Kiss' last, chose not to remain in the band when it ended. His last performance with Kiss was on February 24, 2002, during the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics.^[14]

Return to solo career[link]

Frehley was soon replaced by former Black 'n Blue guitarist, Tommy Thayer. Thayer was an assistant of the band at the time, and had previously served in a variety of other roles, as well as having played Frehley in the Kiss tribute band Cold Gin. Since Kiss now owned the copyright to Frehley's makeup and costume designs, they placed Thayer on lead guitar as the "Spaceman," and had him perform Frehley's well-known tricks (such as shooting rockets from his guitar) and sing Frehley's signature song, "Shock Me", moves which generated controversy and anger among some of the fan base.

Frehley appeared with Rob Zombie, Slash, Tommy Lee, Scott Ian, and Gilby Clarke on VH1's Rock Honors special on May 31, 2006. This supergroup played Kiss' "God of Thunder." He has also attempted acting (not counting a walk-on in the "...Thirteen Years Later" episode of Millennium or his part in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park), making his debut in 2004 in Remedy, an independent crime drama produced by actor/producer Jonathan Doscher, with Sopranos stars Frank Vincent and Vincent Pastore, playing a drug dealer with a heart of gold named Johnny. In July 2007, a Dunkin' Donuts television commercial directed by Zach Braff began airing that featured Frehley playing in his Kiss makeup and costume.^[15]

In 2007, Peter Criss dedicated the final track of his new solo album, One for All, to Frehley. The song is titled "Space Ace" and features biographical lyrics and a very Pink Floyd-like atmosphere.

Frehley was to play the Download Festival 08 (June 13, 2008) on the same day as Kiss, who were headlining. However, for reasons unknown, Frehley was moved to the Saturday (headlined by The Offspring), while Kiss remained as headliners for the Friday. He said, "I am very excited to have been asked to play at a festival like this for my English fans and I'm really looking forward to the day." Frehley also made an appearance (and played one of his own songs) at a Pearl Jam concert at Madison Square Garden on June 25, 2008 during an extended encore performance.

Frehley appeared on April 2, 2009, at the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe at Yankee Stadium performing "New York Groove" with Scott Ian, Frank Bello, and Anton Fig.^[16]

Frehley performed with Alice Cooper, Barry Goudreau (formerly of Boston), Chad Smith (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Chickenfoot) at the Berklee Performance Center April 26, 2009, as part of the 'Rock & Roll Supergroup' show. It was a benefit for a substance abuse facility in Arlington, Massachusetts, called 'Right Turn'.^[17]

His most recent album Anomaly was released on September 15, 2009. This date was chosen as it was three years since he had confronted his alcohol problem and stopped drinking. The album was dedicated to his former bandmate Eric Carr who died of cancer, Dimebag Darrell who was a huge fan of Frehley and Les Paul who died a month prior to the album's release, and his ex-wife Jeanette and her family.
The album was supported by a world tour, first in the US, then Europe, Japan and Australia.

On Eddie Trunk's XM Show in March 2010, Ace Frehley let listeners know that Gene Simmons has contacted him and Peter Criss about rejoining Kiss for a reality show. No confirmation has come from either Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, or Criss. Frehley also mentioned on the show that he hopes to release a new album within the next year or two, plus another album that would contain songs Frehley worked on in the 80s and 90s but were never officially released. The title that was mentioned but has yet to be confirmed was Ace Frehley: The Lost Tapes.

Frehley made a brief appearance during the home opener of the New York Rangers 2010–11 NHL Hockey Season on October 15, 2010. He stood at one of the entrances to the ice and both sang and played guitar on a short version of "New York Groove" just prior to the start of the game. The performance was not well received by the crowd, as Frehley's voice cracked during his performance and the fans started chanting "Let's Go Rangers" to drown out the end of the song.^[18] Frehley released an autobiography in 2011 called No Regrets.^[19]

Death hoax[link]

Rumors of Ace Frehley’s suicide began to circulate around the Internet on Friday, February 23, 2007. The rumor stated that Frehley committed suicide by taking pills, and was reported dead at 2 am. Frehley responded by saying, "I don't know how this ridiculous rumor got started."^[20]

Performance style[link]

Ace Frehley is noted for using Gibson Les Paul guitars with three DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups. Gibson has marketed Frehley's own signature Les Paul models for about two decades now. Frehley came up with his trademark "smoking guitar trick" on one of the first Kiss tours in Canada. Frehley placed a smoke bomb in the compartment of his Les Paul where the volume and tone controls are located and lit it by hand, causing the smoke to come out through the humbucker pickups. After a couple of times, the smoke started to gum up the volume and tone controls and it stopped working. As a result, Frehley had to find a way to avoid this; after an alternative technique was found, the smoke stunt has remained a part of his act. Frehley also played a guitar whose body was covered in LEDs, as well as having invented the infamous rocket set-up that shoots into the air. It came from an earlier idea that he had of a fiber optic wire running up the neck of his guitar to a laser at the top of the guitar to "blow up things." However, Frehley took out the wire and put rockets on.^[21]

Discography[link]

With Kiss[link]

• Kiss (1974)
• Hotter Than Hell (1974)
• Dressed to Kill (1975)
• Alive! (1975)
• Destroyer (1976)
• Rock and Roll Over (1976)
• Love Gun (1977)
• Alive II (1977)
• Double Platinum (1978)
• Dynasty (1979)
• Unmasked (1980)
• Music From "The Elder" (1981)
• Creatures of the Night ^‡ (1982)
• Kiss Unplugged (1995)
• You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! (1996)
• Psycho Circus (1998)

^‡credited, but does not appear

Solo/Frehley's Comet (studio)[link]

Solo (live)[link]

Solo (compilation)[link]

Singles[link]

• 1978 – New York Groove
• 1987 – Into the Night
• 1988 – Insane
• 1988 – It's Over Now
• 1989 – Do Ya
• 2009 – Outer Space

Guest appearances[link]

• "Eugene" – Song on the 1981 self-titled album by Crazy Joe and the Variable Speed Band. Frehley played synth drums, had a spoken-word part, and co-produced.
• "Bump and Grind" – Song on the 1984 Wendy O. Williams album W.O.W. Frehley played lead guitar.
• Cat #1 – 1994 Criss album. Frehley played lead guitar on three songs: "Bad Attitude," "Walk the Line" and "Blue Moon Over Brooklyn."
• "Cherokee Boogie" – Song on the 1996 compilation album Smell the Fuzz: Guitars that Rule the World 2. The song was written, produced and engineered by Frehley, who also played all guitars on it.
• "Rocker Room Theme" – Song on the 1998 Still Wicked album Something Wicked This Way Comes. Frehley played rhythm and lead guitar. CD also features Ron Leejack (Wicked Lester), Gordon G.G. Gebert, MaryAnn Scandiffio and Michael Sciotto.
• "Foxy Lady" – Song on the 1998 ESP (Eric Singer Project) album Lost and Spaced. Frehley played lead guitar.
• "Freedom" – Song on the 2000 Karl Cochran album Voodooland. Frehley played guitar.
• Insanity of Life – 2002 Richie Scarlet album. Frehley played guitar on "Johnny's in Love" and lead guitar on "Too Far Gone." He also co-wrote "Too Far Gone" with Scarlet.
• "Know Where You Go" – Song on the 2002 Anton Fig album Figments. Frehley played lead guitar.
• "Bad Choice" – Song on the 2005 Kathy Valentine album Light Years. Frehley played the lead guitar solos.
• In 2005, Frehley played a new version of "2,000 Man" on Eddie Trunk's "Merry Kissmas" special.
• On June 25, 2008 Frehley appeared onstage at New York's Madison Square Garden with Pearl Jam for an encore performance of Kiss's "Black Diamond" sung by drummer Matt Cameron.
• "Black Light Messiah" – August 12, 2008 Jam Pain Society. Frehley played lead guitar on the song "The Ride".
• On December 20, 2008, Frehley appeared on That Metal Show with host Eddie Trunk.
• On July 21, 2009, Frehley appeared on the Dark Horse Tour with members from each of the tour's participating bands in a rendition of AC/DC's Highway to Hell. Frehley played lead guitar with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback playing rhythm guitar and providing backing vocals and Austin Winkler of Hinder and Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach sharing lead vocals.^{[citation needed]}

Filmography[link]

• Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978)
• Live+4 (1988) (VHS)^[24]
• Ace Frehley – Acevision Volume #1 (1994)^[25]
• Kiss: The Second Coming Documentary (1998)
• Detroit Rock City (1999)
• Kiss Loves You (2004)
• Remedy (2004)^[26]
• Let's Go Cobo (Documentary) (2009)

Interviews[link]

• Ace Frehley Interview on Maximum Threshold Radio
• Behind the Player:Ace Frehley DVD (2010)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Ace Frehley official website

Kid Rock
Kid Rock performs on a United Service Organizations show at Camp Phoenix, January 2006.
Background information
Birth name	Robert James Ritchie
Born	(1971-01-17) January 17, 1971 (age 41) Romeo, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Rock, hip hop, rap rock, rap metal, heavy metal, southern rock, blues
Occupations	Musician, singer-songwriter, actor, rapper
Instruments	vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, banjo, slide guitar, steel guitar, lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar, dobro, keyboards, piano, organ, mellotron, synthesizers, turntables, drums, percussion, talkbox
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Atlantic, Jive, Top Dog
Associated acts	Uncle Kracker, Joe C., Champtown, Yelawolf, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Martina McBride, R. Kelly, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Too Short, Ice Cube, Chuck Nice, Run-D.M.C., Aerosmith, Ludacris, Eminem, Methods of Mayhem, LL Cool J, Esham, Hank Williams Jr., The Howling Diablos, T.I., Bob Seger, Zac Brown, Gretchen Wilson, Robert Bradley, Diana Ross, Dope, Monster Magnet, Hed PE, D Nice, Yo-Yo, Limp Bizkit, Staind, Blink-182, Powerman 5000, Professional Murder Music, Metallica, Sevendust, Creed, Korn, System of Down, Buckcherry, Fuel, David Allen Coe, Lit, Tenacious D, Saliva, Puddle of Mudd, Gov't Mule, Jerry Cantrell, Peter Frampton, Whitestarr, Dicky Betts, Peter Wolf, Bon Jovi, Paradime, Allison Moorer, Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mohammed Omar, Pamela Anderson
Website	KidRock.com

Robert James "Bob" Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations. Kid Rock released several studio albums that mostly went unnoticed before his 1998 record Devil Without a Cause, released with Atlantic Records, sold 11 million albums behind the hits, "Bawitdaba", "Cowboy", and "Only God Knows Why". In 2000, he released The History of Rock, a compilation of remixed and remastered versions of songs from previous albums as well as the hit single, "American Bad Ass" and the previously unreleased "Abortion".

Kid Rock released the follow-up in 2001, Cocky. After a slow start, his country-flavored hit "Picture" with Sheryl Crow resurrected the album and it went gold as a single and pushed the album's sales over 5 million. It was followed by 2003's self-titled release, which went platinum in the USA and reached No. 8 on the Billboard charts. In 2006 he released Live Trucker, a greatest hits live album that went mostly unnoticed.

He made his comeback in 2007. Kid Rock released Rock n Roll Jesus, which produced a hit in "All Summer Long". It was his first worldwide smash hit, charting No. 1 in eight countries across Europe and in Australia.^[1][2] Rock N Roll Jesus sold 5 million albums worldwide and was certified triple platinum in the U.S. He released Born Free on November 16, 2010. It was announced on June 16, 2011 that "Born Free" was certified platinum by the 'Recording Industry Association Of America' (RIAA) for selling more than one million copies. This gives Kid Rock his sixth Platinum album certification and gives him a career tally of 23 million albums sold.

His sales are not aided by iTunes, as he has boycotted sales of his music on the service. This also affects his singles' chart positions without digital downloads added in (for example, "All Summer Long" only peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100). The only Kid Rock album available on iTunes is "Grits Sandwiches For Breakfast" because Jive Records owns the rights to the album.

Early life[link]

Robert James "Bob" Ritchie was born on 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.^[3] 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.^[4] Ritchie found small-town life dull; he became interested in rap music, learned how to breakdance and participated in talent shows in the Detroit area.^[5] At age eleven he joined a breakdance crew called the Furious Funkers, and taught himself 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. He was then given his stage name; club goers dubbed him "Kid Rock" after they had enjoyed watching "that white kid rock."

Ritchie eventually ran away to Mt Clemens at 15 and stayed with his friend Chris Pouncy. He was forced to sell drugs out of a car wash he worked at by a local drug gang known as the "Best Friends". A man in the neighborhood, angered by the actions, organized a rap group to keep the neighborhood kids out of trouble. It was composed of The Blackman (founder of the group), Champtown, KDC, Chris "Doc Roun-Cee" Pouncy and Bob. They were known as "The Beast Crew". Rock befriended producer D-Nice of the legendary hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions. When Rock opened for BDP one night, D-Nice invited an A&R representative from Jive Records to see him perform. This meeting led to a demo deal, which developed into a full record contract.

Against his parents' wishes, Rock signed the deal at age seventeen. Despite his new record deal, he had a falling out with The Beast Crew when he signed over fellow member Champtown (the two have become friends again since). They left his vocals on the tracks of their debut underground album "Chapter 1: He Don't Want Us No More," against his wishes. Rock later became part of the Straight From The Underground Tour alongside several heavyweights of rap including Ice Cube, Too Short, D-Nice, Mac Dre, and Yo-Yo.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

On December 30, 1990 Kid Rock released his debut album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast. As noted by Insane Clown Posse member Violent J, this album made Kid Rock one of the two biggest rap stars in Detroit in 1990, along with local independent rapper Esham.^[6][7] Though Jive Records did not push the album it gained infamy when 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 then the largest fine against a radio station. Kid Rock's career had begun to decline towards the end of 1990.^[7] Jive Records released Kid Rock from his contract in 1991. Once back in Detroit he became friends with Uncle Kracker after battling his brother in a freestyle rapping competition; Uncle Kracker became Kid Rock's DJ.

In late 1991 Kid Rock was picked up by an independent record label called Continuum Records. Though Insane Clown Posse's Violent J disliked Kid Rock's rapping style, he paid Kid Rock to appear on Insane Clown Posse's first album, Carnival of Carnage in 1992, in an attempt to gain notice for the album.^[7] Kid Rock showed up to record the song "Is That You?" intoxicated, but re-recorded his vocals and record scratching the following day.^[7] In March 1993, Continuum released his second album The Polyfuze Method, which featured a more rap rock-oriented sound with Kid 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 released "U Don't Know Me" as the first single from the album, but it failed to chart, and the music video received little airplay on 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.

He released an EP called Fire It Up in December 1993. The EP featured the song "I Am the Bullgod" which wouldn't be a hit until six years later. Continuum didn't see a future with Kid Rock after this and released him from his contract in 1994.

He moved back to Detroit where his on again off again relationship with Kelly South resulted in a son Robert James Ritchie Jr. Kid Rock released monthly demo tapes dubbed The Bootleg Series which featured demos of him and other up-and coming rappers and garage rock bands in the Detroit area. Around the same time Kid Rock formed his back up band Twisted Brown Trucker, later recruiting Joseph "Joe C." Calleja whom he met at a 1994 concert as part of the group. In 1995 Rock took a job as a janitor at Whiterooms Studios to pay studio fees. When he wasn't working, Kid Rock recorded the material that eventually made up his fourth album Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp, which Rock released on his own label Top Dog Records. During the recording process he met piano player Jimmie Bones who joined the band soon after. The album was released on February 12, 1996. A loan from his father aided the release and Kid Rock sold 6,000 copies from the trunk of his car including after his concerts.

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.^[8] However, when recording sessions began Atlantic wanted more of a rock sound and didn't initially like "Cowboy," "Devil Without A Cause" and "Only God Knows Why." They asked Rock to take out the "I'm going platinum" line on the tile track's chorus but he refused. The conflict slowed down production, however Devil Without a Cause was completed on schedule with Rock mostly playing all the instruments himself.

[edit] Devil Without a Cause to Cocky (1997–2002)

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In 1997, Kid Rock added drummer/vocalist Stefanie Eulinberg to his band, joining Kenny Olson, Jason Krause, Jimmie Bones, Uncle Kracker, Misty Love, Shirley Hayden and Joe C.. On August 18, 1998, Atlantic released Devil Without a Cause behind the single "Welcome 2 The Party." Kid Rock went on the Vans Warped Tour to support the album, performing one of his first New York City shows at Luna Lounge on the Lower East Side during the CMJ convention.

Sales of "Welcome 2 The Party" and Devil were slow, though the 1998 Warped Tour in Northampton, Massachusetts stimulated regional interest in Massachusetts and New England. This led to substantial airplay in the summer and fall of 1998 on rock staples in Massachusetts WZLX and WAAF for the single "I Am The Bullgod." In December 1998, while DJ'ing at a club he met and became friends with MTV host Carson Daly. He performed on MTV Fashionably Loud in Miami, then on MTV's Wanna B A VJ doing "My Name Is Rock" and was the DJ for TRL on the Spring Break Special as well as a judge on Say What Karaoke. This raised his profile so by April 1999 Devil Without a Cause had achieved a gold disc.^[9] In May 1999 the single "Bawitdaba" off the album was released to radio outlets, and by June, Devil had gone platinum.^[9] Kid Rock went on his first major tour, Limptropolis, with Limp Bizkit and Staind. By the time he made his career defining performance at Woodstock 1999 on July 24, 1999, he was double platinum.^[9] The following single "Cowboy" was an even bigger hit. It was a mix of southern rock, country and rap that made the Top 40. Rock's next single, the rock ballad "Only God Knows Why", was the biggest hit off the album charting at No 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. By the time the final single "Wasting Time" was released the album had sold 7 million albums, Devil Without A Cause was certified 11 times platinum by the RIAA on April 17, 2003.^[9]

Rock was nominated as Best New Artist at the 2000 Grammy Awards, but lost to Christina Aguilera. He was nominated for "Bawitdaba" for Best Hard Rock Performance, but lost to Metallica's "Whiskey in the Jar."

After reacquiring the rights to his early material in 2000, Rock released The History of Rock, a collection of remixed and re-recorded songs from The Polyfuze Method and Early Mornin Stoned Pimp. "American Bad Ass", one of two new tracks, was released as a single. It sampled the Metallica track "Sad But True".

On May 27 Kid Rock appeared on Saturday Night Live performing "American Bad Ass" and an acoustic version of "Only God Knows Why" that featured Phish's Trey Anastasio. Kid Rock joined Phish later in the year in Las Vegas, Nevada, for a set of cover songs.

A 2000 tour in which David Allan Coe performed as an opening act for Kid Rock was the subject of criticism from journalist Neil Strauss, who alleged that Coe's songs were racist.^[10]

From June 30 to August 22, 2000, Kid Rock joined the Summer Sanitarium Tour with Metallica, Korn, Powerman 5000, and System of a Down. Kid Rock filled in for James Hetfield of Metallica, singing vocals on the songs "Enter Sandman", "Sad But True", and "Nothing Else Matters" and the turntables for "Fuel", for three shows after Hetfield injured his spine riding a jet ski on Lake Lanier the day before the July 7 Atlanta concert.

On November 16, 2000 Joseph "Joe C" Calleja died in his sleep from Coeliac disease in Taylor, MI. The disease stunted his growth and forced him to take 60 pills a day. Joe C's final song was "Cool Daddy Cool" for the Osmosis Jones soundtrack. The band made a cameo in the movie as the band playing in the club scene. Kid Rock was referred to as Kidney Rock to go along with the cartoon aspect of being a cell in the body of Frank played by Bill Murray.

In early 2001, Rock inducted Aerosmith into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed "Sweet Emotion" at the induction ceremony. The same year, Rock landed his first acting role in the David Spade white trash comedy Joe Dirt. His character was Robbie a redneck bully to Joe Dirt who was chasing after Joe's unaware love interest Brandy.

"American Bad Ass" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards. Losing out to Rage Against The Machine's "Guerilla Radio". The History of Rock would go on to be certified double platinum.

In November, Kid Rock blessed us with Cocky, which was marketed as the official follow up to Devil Without a Cause. With the era of rap metal on the decline, Kid Rock included several southern rock and country ballads on the album. The first single, "Forever", featured his standard brash rap-rock sound, but lacked the selling power of "Devil Without A Cause". The songs "Lonely Road of Faith"and "You Never Met a Motherfucker Quite Like Me" were released as singles, but were only minor hits, and the album struggled to reach platinum a year later. Rock had problems with the release of "Picture", a country-influenced duet with Sheryl Crow: his label felt it was wrong for his image, and was not keen to spend more money promoting a flagging album; then, when they agreed to release it, Sheryl Crow's label initially refused to give permission. Rock, meanwhile, made a radio version with Allison Moorer, which was gaining airplay. Crow's label caved and their version was finally released. When "Picture" was released it introduced Kid Rock to a wider audience, and was ultimately the most successful single on the album.^[11] The song would chart at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on Country radio. The song remains his most successful pop song in the U.S. to date.

On December 14, 2001, CMT aired an episode of Crossroads featuring Rock with Hank Williams, Jr. The episode drew 2.1 million viewers, a record on CMT.^[12] He would perform for troops in January 2002 on an MTV USO Special at Germany's Ramstein Air Base along with Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez.

At the end of 2002, Uncle Kracker left the band to pursue a solo career, and Detroit underground rapper Paradime replaced him. Kid Rock made his second movie, Biker Boyz, with Laurence Fishburne.

[edit] Kid Rock to Rock n Roll Jesus (2003–2009)

In 2003, Kid Rock returned with an eponymous album, almost stripping away the accustomed rap metal sound he had created, opting for southern rock and several country ballads in the wake of "Picture"'s success. The album's lead single was a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love". A media blitz accompanied the single capped off by the VH-1 special called A Kid Rock Christmas, which aired on December 14, 2003. He would release "Cold and Empty", "Jackson, Mississippi" and "I Am" I Am (Kid Rock song) to minor success on radio. The David Allan Coe-penned "Single Father", became his second charting country song, although like the other singles it was minor hit at #50.^[9] The album would go on to go platinum.

Kid Rock was involved in the halftime show controversy at Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Texas on February 1, 2004. He was criticized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars for desecrating the American flag, by wearing one slit in the middle as a poncho.^[13]

The following month, Kid inducted Bob Seger into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In September 2005, Kid Rock filled in for Johnny Van Zant, the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd on the band's hit "Sweet Home Alabama" at the Hurricane Katrina benefit concert.^[14]

He performed the theme song for Spike TV's Striperella, which featured Pamela Anderson in 2003, the song was entitled "Erotica". He appeared in cartoon form on some episodes.

Kid Rock in concert on September 16, 2006 in Denver, Colorado.

On February 28, 2006, Kid Rock released his first live album, Live Trucker, comprising songs from his homestead performances in Clarkston (on September 1, 2000, and August 26 through August 28, 2004), and Detroit's Cobo Hall (March 26, 2004). The album contained the last two performances of Joe C. on "Devil Without a Cause" and "Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp," as well as Kid duetting with country star Gretchen Wilson on "Picture."^[15]

He brought Bob Seger back from semi-retirement during his pre-Super Bowl concerts on February 2 and 3, 2006 in Detroit. The two performed a version of Seger's "Rock 'n' Roll Never Forgets" on both nights. Kid Rock would appear on Bob Seger's album, Face the Promise, on a Vince Gill cover of "Real Mean Bottle," a tribute to country legend Merle Haggard. He would make a cameo in the movie Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector and was in an episode of CSI: New York in 2006.

He inducted Lynyrd Skynyrd into the 2006 Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and performed "Sweet Home Alabama" with them.

Rock n Roll Jesus was released on October 9, 2007, becoming Kid Rock's first album to go number 1, selling 172,000 copies in its first week.^[16] He made the cover of Rolling Stone magazine for the second time,^[17] and appeared for the first time on Larry King Live to discuss the new album.

The album's first two singles were successful on rock radio in "So Hott" and "Amen". The album's third single "All Summer Long", became a global hit. It utilized a mash up of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London".^[18] "All Summer Long" would chart at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Rock n Roll Jesus" returned to the Top 10 for 17 straight weeks. Both "Roll On" and the title track were released as follow-up singles. The album's final single was "Blue Jeans and a Rosary" which was a minor country hit at No. 50.

In 2008, Kid Rock recorded "Warrior" for a National Guard advertising campaign.^[19][20]

Kid Rock performing at WrestleMania XXV for the Divas Battle Royal on April 5, 2009.

Kid Rock performed on VH1 Storytellers on November 27, 2008, giving an insight to how he wrote some of his hit songs. On April 5, 2009 he performed a 5-song medley at WrestleMania XXV.

He was nominated for best rock album and best male pop/rock performance for "All Summer Long" at the 2009 Grammys. He lost to Coldplay's Viva La Vida for best Rock Album and John Mayer's "Say" for Best Male Pop/Rock Performance. He achieved his first country award winning for Best Wide Open Country Video for "All Summer Long" at the 2009 CMT Awards.

On May 22 Kid Rock's June 8, 2008 concert at Germany's Rock AM Festival was aired on every MTV affiliate around the world on their debut show "World Stage".^[21]

At the 2008 Download Festival Kid Rock was meant to appear between Seether and Disturbed on the Main Stage but pulled out at the last minute. It was first announced that this was due to illness.^[22] Rock later claimed he left the festival grounds after becoming dissatisfied with the amenities.^[23] But, the following year, Download's booker theorized that it had been due to a broken heart.^[24]

On July 3, 2009 "Rock N Roll Jesus" was certified triple platinum by the RIAA. Two weeks later, Kid Rock performed at Comerica Park on July 17 and 18, 2009.

[edit] Born Free (2009–present)

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 debuted at No 5 selling 189,000 copies in its first week. The album was produced by Rick Rubin and featured David Hidalgo and Matt Sweeney on guitar as well as Chad Smith on drums and Benmont Tench on keys and piano. The album became his first album without a parental advisory sticker on it. The album's lead single was the patriotic "Born Free." It peaked at No 14 on the mainstream rock charts, it also charted on the country and hot ac chart. 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 follow up single was the southern working man's anthem "God Bless Saturday", which peaked at no 37 on the mainstream rock tracks. It is the secondary theme song for College Gameday on ESPN. The third single was "Collide", Sheryl Crow rejoined him along with Bob Seger (on piano). They then went on a joint tour together the song peaked at No 26 on the hot ac chart and no 51 on the country chart. The next single "Purple Sky" a cover of Jason Boland would fail to chart. In November 2011, Kid Rock released "Care" a protest song about current politics in D.C. There were multiple versions released for the single. The album version feat. Martina McBride and T.I., the international single feat. Mary J. Blige. The last version which was released when Martina McBride's label wouldn't let her in on the music video, and the video was shot with the Pistol Annie's Angeleena Pressley. Id peaks no 26 on the hot ac chart and no 58 on the country chart. An ep was released in the Detroit area along with the album called the Racing Father Time EP feat. It included remixes of Slow My Roll and Lonely Road Of Faith along with "The Midwest Fall" and "Forty". Born Free went platinum in July 2011.

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. He also returned to Comerica Park on August 12 and 13.In December he went a 12 city club tour and donated proceeds to various charities in each city to support his single "Care". Kid Rock became the first musician to play in a recorded concert for television at Elvis Presley's Graceland on November 28, 2011 when PBS taped an episode for their Live from the Artists Den series that will air beginning February 24, 2012. He performed "Born Free" at a Michigan Rally for Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney in February as well. On May 12, 2012 he will perform a benefit concert with the Detroit Orchestra, in hopes to raise 1 million dollars.

On December 7, 2011 Kid Rock joined Metallica on-stage at The Fillmore San Francisco during the 30 Years of Metallica celebration (Day 2) to perform Seger's "Turn the Page". On April 14, 2012 he along with Travis McCoy, Black Thought,?uestlove and The Roots performed a medley of Beastie Boys classics at the 2012 Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony.

Kid Rock is currently in the studio for his successor to Born Free. He stated to Billboard.com that he had 16 ideas written and is hoping for a fall release. He made mention of a "very dark" ballad for the album. He described it has a greatest hits album with new songs.

Musical style and influences[link]

Kid Rock's musical style ranges from Midwest hip hop and heavy metal to country rock and rap rock.^[25] His influences include Warren Zevon, Jim Croce, Hank Williams, Jr., Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Bob Seger, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Whodini, Too Short, Eric B. & Rakim, Esham, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Die Antwoord.^[25][26]

Kid Rock has influenced such artist and groups as Uncle Kracker,Paradime,Ty Stone,Jocaine and 75 North, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Jason Aldean. His son released his debut EP "Wanted Dead Or Alive" under the stage name "Bandit" adapting his father's pre fame rap flow.

Twisted Brown Trucker[link]

Twisted Brown Trucker is Kid Rock's band, formed in 1994 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The original lineup included Kenny Olson on lead guitar, Uncle Kracker on turntables, Andy Gould and George Metropolous on guitar, Paul Anthony on bass and Bob Ebeling on drums. The band's first involvement was on the 1994 demo of "Dark & Gray" on his Bootleg Series Tapes, they would make three more appearances on the tapes in Watch Me Come, Only a Dog and Box #10. Trucker became both Rock's studio and live band in 1997.

Chris Peters was the studio guitarist for The Polyfuze Method and Fire It Up. Matt O'Brien (Bass) and Kenny Tudrick (Guitar, Drums) were studio musicians for Devil Without a Cause. Kenny Tudrick also played on 2007's "New Orleans" off Rock N Roll Jesus and co-wrote Rock N Roll Jesus.

Kenny Olson went on to form numerous bands for more creative outlets. A Pack of Wolves, The Flask, Five Star Carni, The Motorfly's, and most recent (2010) 7 Day Binge. He has also made appearances on many other recordings such as the song "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" which can be found on the Les Paul & Friends CD as well as a version of "Little Wing" with Chaka Khan on "The Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix" among numerous others.

Tudrick is with the band Detroit Cobras, who he was with before touring on Kid Rock's 'Live' Trucker tour.

Percussionist Larry Frantangelo won a Detroit Music Award in 2009 for Outstanding Urban/Funk Musician.

Current members

• Jimmie "Bones" Trombly – keyboards, piano, organ, harmonica, backing vocals (1996–present)
• Marlon Young – lead & rhythm guitar (1996–1997, 2007–present)
• Jason Krause – rhythm & lead guitar (1997–present)
• Stefanie Eulinberg – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1998–present)
• Paradime – turntables, programming, keyboards (2002–present)
• Aaron Julison – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
• Shannon Curfman – backing vocals & guitar (2010–present)

with:

• Larry Frantangelo – percussion (2007–present)
• David McMurray – saxophone (2007–present)
• Jessica Wagner;– backing vocals (2007–present)
• Tyra Juliette -backing vocals (2007–present)

Former members

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• Barbara Payton- backing vocals (2007–2009, on and off)
• Stacy Michelle- backing vocals (2007–2009)
• Kenny Olson – lead guitar (1994–2005)
• Uncle Kracker – turntables (1994–2002)
• Joe C – backing vocals (1994–2000)
• Andy Gould – rhythm guitar (1994–1995)
• George Metropolous – rhythm guitar (1994–1995)
• Paul Anthony – bass (1994–1995)
• Bob Ebeling – drums (1994–1995)
• Bill Keros – drums (1995)
• Eric Hogemeyer – drums (1995)
• Jeff Hall – rhythm guitar (1995–1996)
• Chris Zuccaro – drums (1995–1998)
• Ray Echlin – bass (1996)
• Lonnie Motley – bass (1996–1998)
• Chris Lebroux – bongos (1997)
• Thornetta Davis – backing vocals (1997–1998)
• Mike Bradford – bass (1998–2001)
• Misty Love – backing vocals (1998–2001)
• Shirley Hayden – backing vocals (1998–2001)
• Bobby East – bass (2001–2003)
• Smith Curry – dobro (2004–2005)
• Karen Newman – backing vocals (2004–2005)
• Lauren Creamer – backing vocals (2004–2005)
• Kenny Tudrick – lead guitar (2005–2006)